True Strength
by TehDARKTemplar
Summary: Talon, an assassin off the street who lives without honor or obligations. Katarina, an assassin from the wealthy Du Couteau family, honor bound to serve Noxus. Their conflicting personalities come to a head when Talon is taken in by the Du Couteaus, causing an even deeper divide in the household. All of this during one of the most turbulent times in Noxian history. AU Review? Plox
1. Chapter 1

**[Edited 10/13/13] **

**Yeah, yeah I know, generic title, I'm sorry ok? I couldn't think of a better title. If you have better ideas, I would like to hear them. Seriously. Anyways, hopefully you'll enjoy my fic and hopefully I'll be ambitious enough to finish it.**

**Special thanks to niyako66 for allowing me to use their work _Noxian Assassin_ as my cover art. Check them out with this link ** art/Noxian-Assassin-367779916

Talon silently made his way through the slums of Noxus, bypassing the beggars and lepers and various criminals that infested the cesspool of Noxus. His movements were careful and precise, with the grace and deftness that could only belong to a thief. He moved about meticulously, taking care not to brush against anyone.

In Noxus, the small made sure not to piss off the large, lest they found themselves at the bottom of a six foot hole.

Talon, although not small in height, was relatively skinny; engagements with the wrong people could result in death.

He coughed once, wiping the spit on his clothes, and stopped in front of what used to be a beggar's "home." At least it was: The spot had recently been… vacated. His blood still stained the stone curb.

Talon sat down, his back against a pile of crates that used to contain food, now long gone, devoured by the vermin and men that roamed the dank streets. He was weary, tired from a long day of stealing and scavenging.

_Twenty gold pieces and a full meal... a good day..._ Talon's eyes were slowly shutting when he heard the sound of leather boots on the cobblestone street. A course of adrenaline immediately shot through him, all thought of sleep gone from his mind. A group of men in military uniform passed by him, their booted feet treading on all that were too weak to get out of the way.

The Street Sweepers: An infamous military police force that prided itself in rooting out the weak in Noxus, managing to make a profit while doing so.

Talon snarled to himself and pulled his cowl further down his forehead as they passed by, averting his gaze and focusing on an empty can of peaches that lay on the cobblestone streets. He imagined how good the food must have tasted to the lucky bastard who found it.

The tantalizing taste of fresh fruit came to mind, of which Talon had only experienced once before when he came upon a drunken shop keeper. The sweetness of the juice still lingered in his- Talon shook his head to rid himself of the wonderful, warm thoughts that were flooding his mind.

_Focus on the present you fool._

He turned his head slightly to watch the Street Sweepers out of the corner of his eye. They were apparently on the lookout for an escaping Demacian warrior. They were scowling, a bad sign. If the Street Sweepers were doing anything but killing the weak or making money, they were angry. That resulted in an even more violent bunch of bloodthirsty pigs.

_Go find some whores you bastards..._

Talon began to grind his teeth as they began prodding people awake with the butts of their spears for interrogation. For the unvalued, interrogations with any Noxian who held any kind of power usually resulted in death. People on the outer fringes began to slip away, moving with a stealth only people on the street possessed.

Talon began to think over his options. He didn't want to fight; it would only cause him to lose precious energy and time. He was too close to get up and go now, they would cut him down in sec- A man across the street began to stand up, intent on escaping an almost certain death.

A loud," HALT!" came from the SS Captain even as a spear left the hand of the private nearest to him. The runner let out a scream as the spear protruded out of his chest, spurting blood. The private rushed forward, triumph etched on his face. He snatched the spear out of the beggar's back and finished him off with a thrust to the neck. A bloody gurgle escaped the unfortunate's life and his struggling arms fell limp as his eyes clouded over.

No one let out any sound, not even the "children." The old man was a fool, thus was as the daily life of the powerless in Noxus.

The weak will fall and the strong will remain.

The SS private snatched a pouch from the man's hip and dug through it. He snarled in disgust as he pulled out a single copper coin and a rotten apple core. He threw the remains of the apple onto the street and laughed as the masses nearest to it fought to the death for it.

He stooped down to clean his spear on the old man's rags when he noticed Talon. He stared at Talon for several long seconds, his hand still in midair, his legs still crouching, still in the motion of desecrating the old man's body. Then, all too quickly, he hastily cleaned the spear point.

The private hurried over to his impatient Captain who was cursing him for "taking his sweet time" when the private interrupted him hissing the word," bounty."

The new object of interest was not immediately obvious to the observers, but the frantic motions of the private and the Captain's facial reaction to the word 'bounty' made it clear to Talon who their new target was.

_You son of a- Fuck me. _

Talon instantly began to grip the handle of the dagger he kept on his left hip. His face, or at least the cowl over his face, had been plastered all over the city. He had often passed by the crowds in the political and military districts that crowded around to look at the new "crimes" the Blade's Shadow had committed. There were always some young women swooning over his "real" face, some young men longing to somehow gain his level of notoriety, some announcing that their life's goal was to capture him and bring him to "justice." They were pathetic and weak fools who knew nothing but comfort since the beginning of their privileged lives.

He had been forced to go into hiding a little over two years ago when he had robbed the son of a political advisor. The Noxian Guard had been all over the slum district that day, all of them holding posters of his disfigured face and asking," Have you seen this man?"

Of course, no one had said anything. He had been invisible before then, a little street urchin. After a month, he was announced to be either dead or having left the city. But, he had appeared again, stealing from various high ranking nobles. He was never caught of course, but he had to kill to escape certain situations.

It was after his seventh kill and thirteenth robbery that the first guild approached him, offering him a position in their guild. It was also then that he had slain his first assassin. From thereon out, the number of dead assassins in Noxus grew exponentially.

It was always the same pattern. A guild would send an assassin to recruit him and he would die. Then, the guild would send another assassin, this one more skilled, to either recruit him or kill him. He would die as well. Then, their killers would come in pairs, then trios, and then finally they would appeal to another, more skilled guild for help. That guild would send a recruiter, and the cycle would begin again.

It was after his ninth assassin kill that a local newspaper assigned him the moniker 'the Blade's Shadow.'

It stuck.

Needless to say, the longer he lived, the greater the bounty on his head became. Currently it was sitting at around 1,000 gold pieces, a large sum of money to anyone.

The SS Captain unfurled a yellowed parchment from a pouch on his belt. He stared at it, then quickly glanced over at Talon. A grin formed on his face, one that revealed the sharpened metal teeth he had to replace his lost ones.

_Shit. _

Talon's grip on his dagger tightened as the Captain and his troop began to advance on him. As Talon feigned ignorance, he began to pull out some throwing knives he had managed to steal from the weapons dealer in the center of the district. With both of his hands clutching handfuls of steel, he waited. He tensed as he gauged how far the group would have to travel in order to be in effective range of his knives.

"Talon, I am a Captain in the Noxian Military Police. Your days of terrorizing the Noxian populace are OVER!" The Captain unsheathed the battle axe from his shoulder.

He watched as the Captain maliciously swung his battle axe and stepped on the empty can, flanked by the rest of his men. Talon then suddenly erupted from his position, his rags flowing about him as he flew upwards. He watched the stupefied troopers as he threw out his five throwing knives. Five of the nine fell, various body parts pierced by the blades.

Blood filled the air; the scent somehow invigorating to the street assassin. Talon was in his element as he drew his blade and tossed it back and forth between his hands.

"Now, who's next?"

The terrified Captain kicked his Lieutenant forward. He received a stab to the throat as he stumbled forwards. The remaining two privates looked at their dead XO, and looked up again only to see Talon leaping at them.

Their decapitated heads fell at the feet of the Captain as Talon wiped his blade on the sleeve of his ragged shirt.

Talon kept his impassive gaze focused on the Captain's terrified face as he brought the blade up to his exposed neck. The rapid pumping of the Captain's heart betrayed him as he struggled to compose his features. The undulating of his throat strained against the blade's edge and created a thin line of blood.

"I am a Captain of the Noxian Military Police," the Captain forced out, trying to assert his control," Unhand me at once criminal!"

"You think you have power?" Talon started to laugh," And here you are, quivering at the point of my blade." His cold laughter stopped suddenly as he hissed," You are no match for my skill. I will not have myself be brought down by a lowly _captain_."

A brief fire ignited in the Captain's eye but was extinguished by a backhand to the face. "I am no lowly street rat captain," Talon hissed softly. "I am a master assassin. You are only a pompous fool that struts around, flaunting the power that your rank gives you. I am not afraid of you."

Talon began to press the blade harder against the throat," Your 'power' does not make you any less vulnerable, that is something you more 'powerful' Noxians should understand." He swiftly drew the blade across and watched as the Captain grabbed futilely at the wound. "Might does make right, but the only power that matters is that which the blade gives."

Talon flicked his dagger, ridding it of the blood that stained it. He surveyed the massacre before him, looking for what he could scavenge. He would be limited to one heavy weapon and some of their personal items.

"Pity."

Talon knelt down and began to sort through the treasure trove the departed had conveniently left him.

* * *

"General," the guard at the gate saluted, withdrawing his spear from its position in front of the gate.

The carriage stopped as the General neared the Captain.

"Captain," General Du Couteau returned the greeting," how are my daughters?"

"Your daughter Katarina is doing well and has completed all the tasks that were set before her by her masters. However," the General sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand as he gestured for the soldiers to open the gate," Cassiopeia hasn't fared well since your absence." The Captain gripped his spear and his knuckles turned white," She almost strangled one of my men yesterday when he reported to her that you were arriving today."

"What did she say?"

"The usual about her being hideous and you being disappointed in her, General. Sir, if I may, this cannot continue. She has rendered four of my men useless over the course of a week. If she continues using my men as targets to vent her rage upon I will soon no longer have the men needed to protect your Lordship and his daughters."

General Du Couteau nodded wearily," I trust that Cassiopeia had the sense not to permanently injure any of your men, Captain?"

"That is hardly the point Gene-"

"Captain, she shall be dealt with."

The Captain nodded gratefully," Thank you, General."

Marcus Du Couteau stepped out of the carriage and walked towards the Du Couteau mansion. He saw a leather clad figure step out of the house and walk to meet him half way across the lush green garden that covered the front of his property.

"Father," Katarina greeted. She was loosely carrying a dagger between her fingers, playing with it as she inspected his worn down appearance.

The General managed to smile warmly at his oldest daughter.

"Katarina, I hear that you're doing well in your studies."

"Of course father," Katarina replied, letting out a self-satisfied smirk," it's all too easy as you know."

"I understand Katarina. I will see to it that you receive lessons that can actually test your abilities." He reached out and encompassed his daughter in his cloak, as if she were still a little girl.

Katarina let out one of her rare genuine smiles that she allowed only her family to see," I know you will, Father."

The General nodded, thinking back to the posters he had seen on his way to the military district.

_Wanted- Talon, a.k.a. The Blade's Shadow for the murders of various assassins and theft._

_The Blade's Shadow eh? I'll have to into this one. Maybe this is the challenge Katarina longs for. But first I must file this report…_

**Whelp, this is the first chapter. Thanks for reading and please review.**

**Epic Music **

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	2. Chapter 2

**Well, you guys are a talkative bunch... Anyways, thank you LadySpindle, TalonIbnLaAhad, Zothar, Gillfish, and 4SSASSIN for the favorite, reviews and follows. Plox, it really means a lot to me.**

General Du Couteau rubbed his eyes, dreading the meeting with his youngest daughter, Cassiopeia. He passed a pair of guards with red marks around their throats.

Upon seeing the General, the pair raised their hands in a salute. The General motioned for them to stop," Did Cassiopeia do this to you?"

The guards hesitated, looked at each other and one answered," My Lord, Lady Cassiopeia was in one of her- ah, _characteristic_rages about her physical appearance."

The General grimaced," I understand. I will personally deal with my daughter. Go to the infirmary and have the Nurse check your injuries."

"Thank you General."

When he finally reached the ornate double doors that marked the entrance into Cassiopeia's domain, he hesitated and composed himself.

_Emotions distort judgment Marcus. Deal with this with a cool head and clear mind._

He adjusted his coat and knocked on the wooden doors. The raps of his knuckles resounded throughout the empty halls as a voice answered him.

"Go away, I thought I made it clear that I did not want to sssee anyone? Mussst I make an example of you-" the voice stopped as the speaker opened the door and saw who was at the door.

There were several seconds of silence as the General looked down at the prettiest of his two daughters, Cassiopeia. Her bright green hair complemented her bright blue eyes, reminding the General of a healthy green tree framed by the bright blue spring sky. Her facial features were pleasing to the eye, even more so as her eyes, nose, and hair accentuated them perfectly. All in all, she was one of the most, if not the most, beautiful women in all of Valoran.

Until she became half snake. His head cleared as he looked at his changed daughter, still beautiful in the face, but now wearing a green headpiece covering her hair, and her lower body covered in scales.

The General opened the door as his deformed daughter slithered backwards, still looking at him.

"Cassiopeia, it is good to see my youngest daughter again." He reached down and hugged her against his chest.

Her marble arms lay still against her sides as she stood there, motionless.

The General let go and looked down sadly at his daughter," I have been gone for a year and have finally returned, and yet my daughter seems to hate me."

"How could I hate you Father?"

The General sighed and rubbed his eyes for the seventh time that day. He pulled a plush foot stool and sat upon it. He looked around the dank cobblestone room, taking in the barrenness of it.

"Why have you removed all your clothing and accessories Cassiopeia"

Cassiopeia's eyes flashed with anger for a brief second, they calmed down as she answered," I no longer sssuch thingsss.'

"Why not? You are still beautiful."

"I AM NOT BEAUTIFUL!" she shrieked, wrenching the headpiece from her head and throwing it against the floor. "I AM HIDEOUSSS! AN ABOMINATION!" She snapped her tail at the headpiece, sending it flying into the only remaining mirror in the room.

She collapsed on a velvet pillow, her hands ripping it to shreds as she tore at it, trying to get at the Freljord ambassador who had managed to curse her.

"YOU LEFT ME! YOU LEFT ME! YOU LOATH ME! YOU LOSSST YOUR LOVE FOR ME WHEN I BECAME THIS THISSS -" Cassiopeia's sobs became louder and more frustrated, her claws screeching as they scarred the ground.

The General's head whipped around as the double doors opened, a timid servant poking their head in. In an instant, Cassiopeia leapt upon the servant, her claws digging into his shoulders savagely.

"Cassiopeia!" the General leapt from the foot stool and grabbed Cassiopeia roughly and pulled her back, freeing the servant.

The man was pulled up abruptly mid fall by the General and shoved against the wooden door," Why are you here?"

The man shivered a little and rattled out," L-lady Kata-katarina wanted to know h-how your l-lordship was proceeding with her s-s-sister." He quickly glanced at Cassiopeia who was lying face down on the floor, quietly crying.

The General spoke to the servant," Tell my eldest that her sister is troubled and that I'm dealing with it." The servant nodded vigorously, apparently eager to leave," Tell no one of what has occurred here." Marcus shoved the servant unceremoniously out the door and watched him scramble up and hastily leave.

He closed the door and turned around to face his troubled daughter. "Cassiopeia," he said softly," you are still beautiful."

Cassiopeia clutched her father's shirt and pulled herself into his chest, as she did the night her mother was murdered. Lord Du Couteau enveloped his daughter in his arms as he spoke to her even more gently," Cassiopeia, I know you resent me for not being here when you needed me most, and for that I am truly sorry. If I could have, I would have stayed. But Noxus required my service. Perhaps someday you will understand that. I also know that you feel that I favored Katarina over you, and that is not the case. Both of you specialize in different areas. Just because Katarina decided to join the Military doesn't mean you aren't any less special to me. I know that my negligence of you cannot be forgotten, but I ask you this," he tenderly turned Cassiopeia's face so that she was looking at him," can you forgive me, Cassie?"

His use of the childhood nickname he had bestowed upon her brought her to tears again.

"I love you, I alwaysss have. Even wh-when I-I want to I cannot bring myssself to h-hate you. But y-you left me at such a time, an-and Katarina isn't- ssshe just isssn't you." She looked imploringly into his eyes," D-do you un-unders-s-stand f-father?"

The General looked down at his child with a fatherly smile," Of course I understand, my daughter, the pride and joy of my life. But, I must ask you again, can you forgive me?"

"Of courssse I can Father."

The General puller his daughter even closer to his chest, holding her like he did when she was child, afraid... alone... It almost felt like the days when he still had his wife and his two children were unscarred...

_Forgive me for being weak, my love, for being weak for our children._

"Are you feeling better now, Cassiopeia?"

"Yesss Father. Thank you."

"Anything for my daughters."

* * *

Katarina scowled as she twirled her knife in her hand. She was currently sitting in the Du Couteau's extensive library, watching the door that lead into Cassiopeia's part of the manor.

As the door opened she stood up to greet her father who wearily shut the door behind him.

"Father."

"Katarina." He walked over to one of the chairs and slumped down into it. "How was Cassiopeia in my absence?"

"She was weak."

Marcus looked at Katarina half in shock half in anger. He had been expecting a somewhat negative response from his firstborn, but nothing along those lines.

"Your sister is _not_weak, Katarina. She just feels... isolated."

Katarina snorted," We've always been isolated Father, separate from the other noble children. I see no reason why it makes any difference now."

"You must understand that not everyone is as stone hearted as you Katarina."

"It's the Noxian way."

The General sighed, wondering how to deal with his oldest child. "Do you know why Cassiopeia hates you?"

"No. Except that she involves herself with petty matters."

"It's because she feels that I favored you the most, seeing as you decided to follow in my footsteps and join the military."

"Is that really true?"

"No."

"Then it doesn't matter."

"It does matter Katarina. Cassiopeia feels inferior, unloved. It doesn't help that I'm not here half the time and her older sister has the compassion of a wolf."

"Father, I would expect you of all people to know that it is the Noxian way to be cold hearted. The strong prevail over the weak, and to be strong, one must not have compassion."

The General silently cursed his younger self for causing all these difficulties.

"Only in battle. In familial matters, compassion has a place."

"I fail to see how compassion can make a difference in any sort of situation."

"Compassion makes a difference because it unites people. It is a must in our situation because the family, _our_family, must be together Katarina. Now more than ever. You and your sister must be of one mind, of one heart, you must be together in all things. You must respect and care for each other. You cannot disregard one another, not when you are of the same blood! This is why we need compassion. None of this is possible when you are always at odds with one another!"

Katarina was about to try and refute her father's point when she was interrupted," Have you heard of the story of the twigs, my daughter?"

Katarina look confused," Story of the twigs, Father? I hardly see why a story about _twigs_matters now-"

"There once was a father who had three sons. His sons were all individually strong, and as such, they resented each other. They fought amongst each other, vying for dominance within the family. This continued on for some time until the father finally brought his three sons before them. 'Why do you fight?' he asked. 'To prove which one of us is the strongest,' his sons answered. The father then gave each of his sons a single twig, telling them to snap them. As you can imagine, the sons completed the task with ease. The father asked his sons,' Was the task difficult?' 'No,' his sons answered. The father then gave them a bundle of a hundred twigs and told them to do the same. His sons strained and strained, but could not break the bundle of twigs. Again the father asked his sons,' Was the task difficult?' 'Yes,' his sons answered. 'Why was it that you managed to break a single twig so easily, and yet, when charged with the same task for a hundred, you failed?' The sons replied,' The first time was easy as there was only one twig. As for the second time, we failed for there were many and we could not break them all at once.' The father then said,' My sons, do you not see how this relates to you? Divided strong you may be, but together, you are stronger still. Alone, you will be broken eventually. Together, and no adversary can stand against you.'"

The General leaned back as Katarina absorbed the lesson.

Katarina finally looked up," You are telling me that Cassiopeia and I are strong alone, but together, we would be unbreakable."

"Exactly. You must unite, as Noxus must, for the coming days will be dark."

The General stared out the window, lost in thought. Katarina studied her father, his graying hair, wrinkles lining his gray eyes.

"What exactly were you doing on your mission Father?"

"You'll find out when the time comes."

"Of course." The General could tell that she was displeased. From the slight crease on her forehead, to the slight dip on the right side of her mouth.

_That's one of your faults Katarina. You're too impatient._

A side door opened, revealing the cook.

"My Lord?"

"Yes Bren?"

"The larders are low and I have to make a trip to the market soon."

"Don't worry, I'll go and order the groceries myself. Spend some time with my daughters and see what new things the pompous fools of the aristocracy have added to our fair city."

The cook blinked, then answered," Of course my Lord. I will send my assistant along with you to help ensure that they get the right list."

* * *

Talon watched the guard from his vantage point atop the Military Bank. There were five, no six guards in total guarding the bakery. Mercs from what he could tell. They had the traditional raggedy look about them, but were deadly professional, carrying weapons that had slain hundreds if not thousands of enemies, and wearing armor that could stop even the sharpest of blades.

But Talon had no intention of engaging them in combat. He examined their positioning once again.

_Two at the entrance, two patrolling the sides, one guarding the back, and the last one watching the crowd from the barrel._

The guard on the barrel looked extremely bored and uncomfortable sitting on there watching for him. He also took too many swigs from the canteen on his hip.

_First guard, check._

The guard on the left had the tendency to stop and examine the crowd behind the baker's shop. That gave Talon maybe four, five seconds to slip into the bakery using the loose board that led into the storage room.

_Second guard, check._

Talon made his way down the tree he used to get up to the top of the bank and withdrew the cowl from his face. A rare move, as exposing his face exposed his identity, and as a result, added risk to his anonymity and life.

But, in this particular situation, Talon was relying on the fact that almost no one had seen his face to slip through the crowd and under the mercenaries' noses into the bakery.

He slowly made his way down the street towards the bakery. He hid in the shadows, keeping his pale face out of the sun for as long as possible.

When he reached the end of the block, he looked out at the crowd.

_Weak and pathetic fools._

He glanced at a carriage carrying a graying man with what seemed to be his two daughters. The younger of the two was wearing some sort of... hat? If it were not for her hideous head wear, she'd be rather attractive.

But it was the older one that caught his attention. The fiery haired one dressed in leather playing with a particularly nasty looking blade. She looked up and caught his eye. She smirked, and twirled the blade in her hand, then made a cutting motion across her throat.

_So kitty thinks she's good enough to be an assassin, eh?_

Talon scowled to himself, averting his eyes from the disgusting scene in front of him. There were more important things that required his attention.

He examined the crowd, looking for a group of people he could attach himself to. There, a group of prisoners being walked across the street towards the prison.

Talon quickly hurried down the street, taking care to stick to the shadows. As he approached the line of prisoners and their guard he quietly took place as last in line. The chained looked at him, their eyes dead, their faces blank, knowing that he was there only for personal gain.

Talon watched the merc on the barrel, not twenty feet away from him. The merc was young, in his late twenties or early thirties. He kept a lazy eye on the crowd, paying more attention to the canteen in front of him as he took another swig.

At that moment the guard swung his whip and the prisoner closest to him.

"Move it you lazy asses!"

The chained began to move across the street, ignoring the cat calls from the privileged lining the streets. As Talon entered the sunlight, his eyes began to burn. His eyes had adapted to seeing in the dim light after living in the slums all of his life. This had been one of the few times he had ventured out into the sun.

The first time had been scary, the warmth and just overall _lightness_of the sun had startled him. It was not something he was accustomed to.

_Give me the cold and dank slums any day._

Talon shook his head, and shoved all personal discomfort aside. He began to watch the merc. He was becoming more and more intoxicated.

_Good._

Talon switched his focus to the guard patrolling the left side. He completed his round trip about every twenty seconds and was currently half way across the length of the shop.

_When I reach the bakery he should be on his way to the back side..._

The patrolling guard made his way back to the front, then rushed to the back as the guards in the back called an alarm.

Talon smiled inwardly, then swiftly made his way to the side watching the mercenaries as they tried to decide if the person they were examining was really him.

_One, two, three, here it is._

Talon gripped the fourth board and pulled it back. The effort was almost too much for him. Malnutrition was common in the slums of Noxus. He slipped through the crack, barely managing to keep the board from slamming shut too loudly. He sat down on one of the flour sacks, trying to regain his energy and breath. He heard the merc's footsteps outside and paused, for fear that his breath would give him away.

He let out a relieved breath through his nose as the boots continued onwards. Talon stood up, careful not to make too much noise. He stood against the door, smelling the scent of fresh bread. It was almost too much for him, he almost broke down the door and rushed into the bakery.

_Strength of will, Talon._

Talon steeled himself and waited, pressing his ear against the door, listening for the telltale signs of movement inside the oven room. None. Talon's hand closed on the door knob as he held his head against the door, still listening. Nothing.

He eased the door open a little, peeking out into the oven room, his eye scanning all that the room held.

It was simplistic and spartan, bare of furnishings except for the four ovens it held. Other than that, there was not much more besides the ingredients and the paddle board the owner used to extract the bread.

Talon waited, still waiting for one of the mercs of the baker to appear. Still nothing. He slowly opened the door, then slipped through once the opening was big enough for him to get through. He left the door open for a quick escape if it was required, and made his way to the paddle board.

It was heavy, and it took all of his strength to keep it up. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and the heat of the bakery didn't help. He licked his lips, then slowly slid the board into one of the ovens. Talon scooped up a single loaf and then dropped it into the small cloth sac he carried with him at all times. Talon quickly grabbed three more, then closed the sac and tied it tightly.

He was about to leave the oven room when he spotted a bag belonging to one of the mercs. Talon stood in place, deliberating on whether or not to investigate. He tucked the bread sac underneath his cloak and crept over to the bag.

Talon quickly untied the small piece of rope that closed it, and reached down into the bag. He pulled out a purse, and from its weight, it contained a pretty hefty amount of coins. Talon peered into the bag and pulled out a long, slender package. It was wrapped in leather, apparently to make the object waterproof.

_So it's metal._

Talon quietly stole into the storage room and shut the door, then sat down on a flour sack with his prize. He unwrapped it slowly, pulling the leather away. What he saw stunned him. It was a blade, unlike any other he had seen before.

The blade was attached to a leather bracer that was lined with steel. The bracer itself attached to the user's arm with the help of three leather straps. But the blade itself was the most magnificent part of the kit by far.

It was at least two feet long, and was pure steel, not like those impure blades that the beggars peddled on the streets that were half copper or tin, no, this was a blade made for combat.

The blade was engraved with lines, two tracing the edge of the blade, and the others going across the length and width of the blade at seemingly random paths to create a beautiful design. The blade was not straight like a sword, its edges curved and dipped and rolled.

_Probably a gift or trophy of one of the mercs._

Talon was focused only on the blade, all other things were secondary. His right hand shivered as it neared the blade. He touched the point of the blade tentatively, with a reverence that he gave only to blades.

He licked his dry lips and hesitatingly tried it on. The bracer fit perfectly, and although the blade could've been considered a sword, it was surprisingly light.

_It's as if this blade was specifically forged for me..._

Talon was unpleasantly thrust back into reality when the door into the oven room opened.

Three stumbling steps and a burp.

_It's the drunk._

Talon berated himself, cursing furiously. He eased the board out a little, peering out into the outside.

_Fuck. The merc is just standing there._

Talon thought over his options, he could just stab the guard outside and make a run for it, but in his dilapidated state he wouldn't get far before they'd get to him. He couldn't fight them for the same reason.

"Oi? Where's me gold and blade?"

_Son of a-_

The storage room door opened revealing the drunk merc. His sleepy eyes widened as they spotted Talon with the blade.

"Oi! It's the boy! An' he's got me bla- ARGH!"

Talon was a second too late as he leapt forward holding his dagger, shoving it into the mercenary's throat.

The mercenary clutched at his neck wound as he stumbled to the right. Talon heard the patrolling guard kick in the wooden wall.

"It's the boy an' e's killed Erick!"

Talon heard the thumps of boots running around the sides and from the front of the bakery. He could also hear the sounds of the rich milling about, wonder what was going on.

Talon gritted his teeth as the remaining five mercenaries appeared to his right and behind the guard in front of him.

"We got you now you little shit! You'll pay for killin' 'im!"

Talon snarled, and looked down at the blade on his right arm. He could just use his dagger, but that wouldn't be enough to fend off all five. Sure he'd take down one, maybe two, but the rest of them would chop him into little bite sized pieces. He would have to use his newly acquired weapon.

The first guard took a step forward, bringing his spear up so that he would be able to charge forward and impale Talon with it.

"YAAH!"

The merc ran forward and Talon sidestepped the spear and brought his dagger down onto the man's hand, impaling it to the spear shaft. The merc gave a cry of pain and rage, but was silenced as Talon stabbed him through the chest with his blade. Talon then shoved the corpse into the oncoming pair of mercs as they rushed forward to avenge their fallen brethren.

The oncoming mercs gave a shout of surprise as the corpse landed on them, shoving them backwards. Talon rushed forward, pulling his cowl over his face as he jumped off the corpse and into the cobblestone streets of Noxus.

_Looks like it's going to be a bloody day after all._

* * *

Katarina scowled, sitting in the carriage. She stared out at her father who was currently going over the list with one of the larger and more reputable shopkeepers in the market. Her father finally nodded at the shopkeeper and herded the cook's boy along with him.

Katrina snorted. The boy was a stuttering fool, he couldn't formulate a single coherent sentence.

_Although, it may have something to do with Cassiopeia._

Although Cassiopeia's transformation was known, she hadn't made a public appearance since then. Her thoughts taking a new direction, Katarina glanced at her sister, and then at some of the gawking men who peered into the carriage to see if the rumors were really true, then recoil in disgust and horror.

The side door opened as the cook's boy entered with the General behind him. The General signaled for the coachman to start going and then entered the carriage himself.

"So, boy, it's Charles isn't it?"

The boy nodded stuttering," Y-yes my lord."

"Is that all on the list?"

"N-n-n-no S-s-sir. We still have to g-go to the bakery and get the bread the c-cook order- ordered."

The General nodded, then stuck his head out the window," Take us to the bakery in the center of the district."

Katarina reopened the shades, and began to stare out at the passing scenery as she thought about the street rat with the tattered cloak.

_Stupid street rat_she fumed _who does he think he is? Looking at me like that, and daring to look eye to eye with me in the first place._Her temporary scowl turned into a smirk as she gloated over her 'victory' against the street rat. _The powerful rule over the weak._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the stopping of the carriage.

"Why have we stopped coachman?" called out the General.

"There seems to be some sort of commotion up ahead my Lord. Although I cannot see far enough ahead to tell you what is going on, people are talking about some 'blade's shadow' at the bakery."

"How close are we to the bakery?"

"About a block."

"We'll proceed on foot from here." The General stepped out, and helped Katarina out of the carriage. Motioning for the boy to come along he asked Cassiopeia," Would you like to come along?"

"The sun burns my eyes, Father. I've spent a year in my room."

The General nodded, a little sadly, then spoke to the coachman," Wait here until we return."

The coachman nodded then leaned back against his seat on top of the carriage.

* * *

Talon whirled around, his cloak trailing after him as he batted away the oncoming sword with his blade. The two mercenaries who had not been knocked down by the corpse stood there, one with the sword and the other with a battle axe. The remaining two staggered upwards, one armed with a scimitar and the other with a battle hammer.

Talon looked around at the rapidly growing crowd, growing even more as cries of," Talon!","the Blade's Shadow!", and "They've got him now!" filled the air.

_There is no escape now, I'm going to have to fight._

Talon glanced at he still dazed mercenaries behind the two in front of him.

_I have to press my advantage now, while they are separated._

With that, he moved forward. The merc with the battle axe, as expected, stepped forward to meet his charge. Talon ducked underneath the weapon as the merc swung, and then jumped forwards as the merc's exposed belly.

The merc squealed like a pig as his entrails poured out of a foot long hole in his stomach. The other mercenary was stunned into inaction at the sudden turn of events, and paid for that with his life as Talon decapitated him with a single swing.

The catcalls of the crowd had now grown silent as the last two of the mercenaries finally regained their senses, only to be greeted with the sight of another two of their brethren dead.

The one with the battle hammer let out a howl of rage as rushed forward, ignoring the other's attempts to persuade him to fight by him. Talon hopped to the right as his opponent swung at empty air, and then pivoted on his left foot and drove his blade into the man's rib cage.

The sound of breaking bone and the slicing of meat filled the air. It sounded as if a thunderclap had went off in the area.

The last remaining merc gritted his teeth in an attempt to maintain his composure. He began to grip the hilt of his scimitar tightly, his bronzed knuckles turning white.

"You'll pay for that you wretch!"

Talon made no comment, he just watched and waited, like a bird of prey.

Talon and the surviving merc circled each other, both feinting, trying to cause the other to expose themselves so they could drive their blade home.

_Shit. This one isn't going to go down as easy as the others, and I can't afford to waste more time here than is necessary. Guardsmen are probably on their way here right now. I must finish this quickly._

Talon sneered at the merc underneath his cloak and hissed," You have no chance mercenary."

The merc just glared, fire burning in his eyes and he gripped his scimitar even more tightly.

"You will fall, just like your friends around you. The strong prevail over the weak, and you are just one more weakling in my way."

The merc's eye twitched visibly, and Talon pressed on, hissing his taunts so that only his adversary could hear them.

"My blade thirsts for blood. Your comrades fell without filling it. Perhaps you are a worthy enough opponent to sate its thirst?"

The merc gave a strangled roar and rushed forward, his scimitar coming crashing down. Talon moved fluidly, immediately moving his arm to meet the curved blade of the mercenary.

Talon's left hand snatched out a throwing knife from his cloak as he backpedaled, trying to give himself more breathing room as the mercenary charged forward, intent on taking his head. Talon felt his back press up against the wall of the bakery, and he silently cursed.

He ducked and rolled to the left as the scimitar came crashing into the wood. Talon took his chance and threw the throwing knife into the mercenary's side.

The merc hissed as his eyes clouded, his hands prying at the scimitar embedded into the side of the bakery. Talon moved forward, shoved the mercenary over, and stabbed him in the chest.

The mercenary coughed up blood and he grabbed Talon's shoulders and pulled himself further along the blade, still trying to kill the target of his rage.

Talon look on impassively, examining the merc. One could compare his take on the scene as a scientist studying a rat. He then pulled out his blade and drove it again into the merc's chest. The mercenary finally fell, his hands and mouth bloodied.

Talon carelessly wiped the blade on the fallen's tunic, and then looked up at the crowd. Some were looking on in shock, some in morbid fascination, some impassively, others angrily. But Talon homed in on the red haired girl in the front.

He smirked, then mouthed," Can you do better?" Her expression was priceless, the rage and fury that was etched on her face was almost worth all the attention he had drawn. He almost laughed, but was stopped as he noticed the gray haired man behind the girl.

The man, an officer in the military it seemed, was studying him, much like he had studied the mercenary on his blade not a minute before. Talon felt a feeling course through him, something he'd never felt before.

Apprehension, fear... inferiority. Talon snarled and then scampered up a nearby tree, jumped onto the roof of a nearby being, and ran away as fast as his legs could take him.

* * *

The General watched the Blade's Shadow disappear, and with him any doubt about whether or not his boy was right for his daughter.

**HOORAH FOR LONGER CHAPTERS! Well, how'd you like it? Personally, I don't think this chapter was as good as the first one. I would've liked to touch upon the Cassiopeia/General relationship more, but decided that I would just over complicate things. But, this fic will be slightly different from other TalonxKatarina fics in that I will try and incorporate the Du Couteau family into the story more, similar to this chapter. The fanfic on the whole however, will be from Talon or Katarina's POV (probably Talon's). Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read my fic, and please review to let me know what I've done well, what you'd like to see happen, what you'd like to see more of etc. Thanks again for reading my fic, and please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**First off, I would like to thank Stolenwarpig, windrunner123 (Dota 2 or WarCraft?), the Guest, ThatGuy, Shinyesp, 4SSASSIN, LadySpindle, TalonIbnLaAhad and Desodus for adding my fic to their favorites, following it, and reviewing. If I have forgotten you, then please PM me so I can add your username to the list . I would request that more of you would review my fic so that I may get a better understanding of how the story is being received by the general audience. Also, if you spot any grammatical errors, spelling errors, basically errors in general, would you please notify me? I would greatly appreciate it. Finals are coming up and I am kind of strained right now so I can't dedicate as much time as I would like to go over this and submit new chapters so your help would be greatly appreciated :P**

General Du Couteau examined his daughter from the balcony. Katarina was currently in the courtyard, practicing blade work, melee combat, and knife throwing.

The General beckoned a maid that was currently returning his recently cleaned clothing.

"Maid, in my absence, has Katarina trained as hard as she is now?"

The maid, a woman in her mid 50's came over to where the General was standing and looked down. She slowly shook her head," No, I can't say that she did, my Lord."

"Have you any idea why?"

"No, my Lord. Although I suppose it's because she surpassed all her tutors so quickly. Most of the things they tried to teach her she had already learned from you or by herself. If she didn't know it, she quickly mastered it. I think that it eventually got to the point where the Lady Katarina began to slack off. She's overconfident you know, my Lord."

"Of course. Although I asked you already, are you sure you don't know why she is training so vigorously so suddenly?"

The maid looked thoughtful for a second, and then she spoke," Well, I can't say for certain, but I am fairly sure that I heard my Lord's daughter muttering to herself,' I'll show that insolent wretch true skill' or something along those lines."

General Du Couteau nodded, thanked the maid, and dismissed her.

His eyes narrowed as he contemplated what the maid had told him. _So she's upset about Talon? Did he say something? I saw him glance over at her, but that was it._

_If he induces this reaction from her just by looking at her, how much harder will she work if they have to train together?_

_Heaven knows she'll need the extra training in the future. That and I need someone to be close to Cassiopeia, and Katarina to some extent. The added bonus of more protection is also another factor... _The General began cracking his knuckles. _That does it, I'll try and track him down tonight._

As he turned from the balcony he called out over his shoulder," Not so tense Katarina!"

He chuckled when he heard her audibly snarled.

* * *

Talon leaned against the stonework foundation of the bridge, alone with his thoughts and the pitter patter of the rain. He was contemplating yesterday's events, worrying about how it would affect his ability to remain at least relatively incognito.

Talon began reexamining his newly acquired blade.

It was work of art in and of itself. It was magnificent. Of course, it would also make it easier to recognize him.

Although the papers and wanted posters managed to get all other information correct, or at least, partially correct, the face they conjured up for him was inaccurate. He had managed to stay hidden for the length of time he did because of false information the papers had given him.

_Well, my identity is still intact. Well, that's not entirely accurate now, is it?_

Now that that _girl _had seen his face and had recognized him at the bakery, his actual face would no doubt be plastered all over the city. Even if she didn't blab about him to the authorities, he would still be quickly recognized by the blade he carried. He'd have to find a way to conceal it.

Talon found himself staring at his reflection in the puddle as his thoughts began to drift from survival. He scratched his gaunt cheek, his hand scraping against the sparse amount of stubble he had managed to grow.

_Aren't I about twenty- one? I would be growing a larger amount of facial hair by now if I wasn't on the streets. I wonder what it's like to have someone care for you, to have someone to care for._

Talon snarled and rebuked himself. _You aren't supposed to think about things like that, it is the weak who dream. Who dream about the impossible, the unachievable, the unattainable. The strong do not care for things like that, they focus on the present, on the now. They do it._

_Besides _he reasoned with himself _the last time you partnered with someone almost got you killed on several occasions._

Talon stood up. He would never have a family. He would never have anybody to care for, or to care for him. It was for the weak. The weak needed support, the strong could stand alone.

He shook off the thoughts that had recently occupied his mind. _There was a new clothing store that opened recently. It was near the butcher's shop wasn't it? Yes. It was._

* * *

Talon shivered as a cold gust of wind blew by. _I need that cloak, winter is coming, and I'll be too easily recognized with both the blade and the same cloak._

He pulled his grey cloak about him. _It's time for the Blade's Shadow to become a ghost again._

Talon paused at the corner near the new clothing store, and looked about. The streets looked deserted, but Talon had learned long ago that things were not always what they seemed.

He looked left, then right. Apparently satisfied with his surroundings he stepped onto the street, only to be stopped by a knife landing at his feet.

He cursed silently, staring at the shadowy figure that materialized from a nearby alley.

"You are the one they call the Blade's Shadow."

"And you are?" he countered.

"I am one of the Brotherhood. I have come here to recruit you. My leaders have heard rumors of you for a long time, Talon. They were especially impressed when you killed six of those mercenaries yesterday, and then, not much later, kill the recruiter and his escort from the Forsaken Guild. It takes much skill to defeat five assassins of that much skill at once. So they sent me to find you, if you existed."

"Well, I'm here. You say you are here to recruit me? You _are_ aware that all previous attempts to take my service or life have failed miserably?"

"The Brotherhood is aware."

"Are you so confident that you will succeed, that you tempt death?."

"I do, because if you refuse, Talon, you will die."

The figure produced two long, thin blades on the underside of his wrists.

Talon replied with a low laugh," You think you are any different than the others? That's where you are mistaken, member of the Brotherhood. You are just like them. "

"In what way, oh great one?" the recruiter returned in a mocking voice.

"All of you have given up your freedom for a life of obligation," Talon snarled, "I will not join you in a life of servitude so that some fat and pompous fool may use _my _skills for their own benefit."

The assassin hissed," Then your fate is sealed."

Talon's opponent rushed forward, his two blades reflecting some of the moonlight that served as their illumination. He jumped up, and thrust forward with his right arm. Talon swung his left arm and knocked the man's arm away before his blade could hit him.

A trio of daggers flew past Talon's chest as he twisted to the right to avoid them, and the assassin's left arm flew over his shoulder as Talon ducked. Talon then leapt back, avoiding the man's next swipe at his chest.

"You are good, Talon, but not good enough."

"So you say."

The assassin renewed his assault and rushed forward. Trying another aerial assault the assassin jumped to his right and pushed off a brick wall. Talon rolled to his right as the assassin swung at air, and pivoted on his left foot so that he was facing his opponent.

The Brotherhood assassin was breathing heavily, slight traces of sweat could be seen on his forehead.

"Getting tired are we?"

Talon's assassin answered with a shuriken. Talon easily evaded it, and returned the man's projectile with his own. The flying knife found its mark, and the assassin howled as he grasped his left wrist, trying to extract the blade that was embedded in the bone.

Talon growled in his victory and strode forward, his blade at the ready.

Talon raised his blade above his head and brought it down. The assassin threw up his arm. Steel clashed against steel, producing a high pitched screeching noise.

Talon raised an eyebrow," You still live? I am disappointed in myself."

He drew another throwing knife from his cloak and threw it as his enemy's wrist. Another howl of pain came from his throat as the fell onto his knees.

Talon's blade shone dangerously in the faint moonlight as he snarled to his adversary," You are no match for me, weakling. The strong serve no one but themselves. Anyone who does not live by this principle deserves to die."

Talon pierced the man's throat, his fist touching the man's neck. The man struggled in a last ditch effort to extract the blade that had pierced his throat, but his eyes rolled and he gave a low gurgle as he died. As Talon withdrew his blade, the carcass slumped over to the side with a muffled thump.

_Another body for the gutter._

"This was much too easy," Talon spoke to no one in particular.

"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind fighting against me?"

Talon whirled about, facing the newcomer. The new figure was tall, about 6'2", and wrapped in a black cloak, it's edges lined with crimson and gold. The new challenger was wearing a leather chest piece underneath, it bore a crimson insignia, presumably the challenger's coat of arms.

The newcomer had a cowl over his head, and was placed with the moon at his back so that the light would not reveal his features.

Talon sneered," Are you another one of those pathetic assassins trying to recruit me? If so, then you have your answer," he gestured towards the newly slain assassin.

He ignored Talon's first question," I am only here to engage in single combat."

"With me?" Talon asked incredulously. "Have you not heard of the Blade's Shadow? Of how many assassins I have slain? I have slain the best from each of the guilds, and none of them offered anything even _resembling _resistance. And yet you, a royal no doubt, wish to defeat me in single combat?"

"Even more. I plan on it."

Talon snarled and dropped into his combat stance," Then be prepared to have your throat slit, fool."

The newcomer only responded by drawing his weapon, a great double edged sword.

Talon had no time to examine the intricacies of the sword as his new opponent shouted," Prepare yourself," and rushed forward.

Talon found himself on the defensive as his opponent rained down bone shattering blows from above, using his greater muscle mass to force Talon back.

Talon kept ducking, dodging, and weaving, blocking, parrying, and sidestepping, all in the hope that his opponent would eventually tire and reveal a weakness.

But, his opponent had been casting down blows for the last four minutes, with no sign of stopping. While Talon had been able to keep up with his opponent for the past several minutes, his adversary every now and then had skillfully circumvented Talon's defenses, his blade charging in and almost drawing blood, but Talon had caught each of those attempts. Albeit barely.

Talon felt his arm start to go numb, the unrelenting pace his opponent managed to keep up for so long was unbelievable, and if something didn't happen soon, Talon would lose more than just his reputation.

_Well, they say the best defense is a good offense._

Talon sidestepped the oncoming blow and threw his numbed right arm towards his opponent, hoping to catch him off guard. Talon's heart sank as his arm was batted away.

Talon brought his arm back for another attempt, and was mid way through his second strike when his opponent drew a dagger from his hip and simultaneously brought up his sword.

Talon barely had time to register what was happening before he felt his blade stop cold, trapped in between the dagger and sword of his opponent.

He snarled in pain as his arm was painfully wrenched to the side and brought up behind his back.

He was now facing the spot his opponent had been moments before, with his blade arm twisted behind his back and a dagger held against his throat.

"You disappoint Talon. I was expecting much more from the Blade's Shadow."

Talon's sudden burst of anger revitalized him. He threw his left elbow into the soft stomach of his captor and broke free when he felt the iron grip on his blade arm give way.

He stumbled forward, breathing heavily with sweat staining his face.

The figure sighed, as if in disappointment," I allowed myself to be caught off guard. I must be losing my touch."

Talon's lip curled in a snarl as he rubbed his blade arm in an effort to regain some feeling. His adversary brought his blade up to eye level," I hope you are ready this time Talon. I still believe that you can offer a real challenge."

The sound of clashing steel once again filled the deserted streets as the figure rushed forward. The rain returned, and it returned in force. The rain poured, creating puddles that forced the battling pair to be all the more careful lest they lose their balance. It also had the added effect of soaking them to the bone, draining more of their precious energy to help their bodies' to maintain homeostasis.

Whereas the first half of their duel was lopsided as Talon was unprepared for the violent, unrelenting assault of the stranger, the second half was much more even.

Talon, now in his cold, calculating state that was characteristic of and expected from assassins, began to do much better than his piss poor performance before. He moved with the grace that only an assassin possessed, darting in here and there, with a feint to the right and then a sudden change of direction.

But his opponent was still energetic, and his skill was even more apparent than before. He matched Talon blow for blow, and had almost managed to end the duel in his favor on several occasions.

The battle dragged on for what seemed like hours. A thrust, a sidestep, a counter blow, a parry, an overhead blow, a block.

Talon could feel the cold rain starting to get to him. He didn't have much energy to begin with, the poor nutrition he received while in the slums didn't help with growing men's energy capacity. The little energy he did manage to build up was long gone, he was drawing on energy reserves he didn't have. He could gradually feel more and more of his body starting to go numb, it felt like his body was shutting down.

But still he went on, drawing on energy that he seemingly pulled out of thin air.

_I'm going to die here._

This sudden revelation didn't bother Talon. He was going to be bested, and he knew it.

_The strong live on while the weak perish. I was strong, for a time, but now, I have met my match._

Everything seemed foggy, his vision was clouding, his breath was raspy, his reaction times sluggish. His heart was beating rapidly, trying to replenish the energy and oxygen stores that had been depleted over the course of the battle.

He pulled up his arm to deflect the incoming blow from his opponent. Talon hissed in pain as his opponent's sword sliced through his shoulder. The smell of blood, his _own _blood was unfamiliar.

Talon looked at his wound, he turned his gaze back to his would be killer as he dropped to his knees. His teeth chattered, his body shivered, struggling to maintain a stable body temperature, to best the cold that was rapidly enveloping his senses. He clutched the gash in his right arm. It was painful, it was at least an inch deep.

His gaze dropped as his opponent advanced. Talon suddenly felt the exhaustion of the fight all at once. He felt like throwing up. He fell backwards, his back was caught by an uncompleted brick wall. From that position, he was able to look up at his executioner.

"Kill me now, finish it."

The enemy stood there, looking at him. Silent.

Talon blinked. Did his enemy not hear him over the rain? Or even worse, would he not grant him a death by the blade and just leave him to starve, or die of the cold?

"Kill me," he croaked," you have managed to defeat me in single combat. It is the Noxian way."

"You have fought well, Talon."

"What does it matter? I have lost, and you have succeeded in defeating me. Put an end to me now."

The figure chuckled a little," Talon, I am not here to kill you. Defeat you, yes, but not kill you."

"You would not grant me a death by the blade? The only death I would accept? You wish to humiliate me."

"No. I do not wish to end your life or humiliate you. Well, I might embarrass you, but that will be at a later date."

Talon's rapidly failing brain came to the only solution it could think of," You wish to recruit me."

"No, not recruit you. I wish to offer you a proposition."

Talon propped himself up using an arm, "A proposition? A royal offering a street orphan such as myself a deal? This is unheard of."

"And yet you are intrigued."

Talon fell silent, and the figure continued. "I wish to take you under my wing. I will train you in the art of being an assassin, and refine your skills. Although you are skilled now, you are not at the peak of your abilities. You are like a blade made of steel and copper. You are suited for your profession, and will be good, but you must be perfected, so that you may be the best."

Talon eyed the stranger warily," Why should I accept your offer? Why are you even doing this?"

"You should accept it because I know you crave power, power that only the blade gives. I can help you obtain that power, I am the only way you will ever reach your maximum potential. As for why I am doing this, I see in you great potential, and it would be a waste for the Blade's Shadow to die in the slums while he could be serving Noxus."

"So it's for personal gain."

The figure nodded slightly," Somewhat, other people will also have something to gain from you accepting my offer."

"Will I have any duties?"

"You will, but you won't be used as an servant boy, you will treated as a guest."

Talon's mind immediately leapt at one possibility.

The stranger laughed a little, reading Talon's thoughts," I will provide you with the necessities, _especially _food."

"I accept your proposition. May I ask what your name is?"

The figure removed its hood, revealing an aging man with graying hair.

"My name? I am General Du Couteau."

**Talon and Du Couteau finally meet! I feel like I should've postponed this a little longer, but, with how the next chapter is planned to turn out, I think it would be best I released it now. Next chapter will be Talon meeting the girls, which should be interesting. Thank you for reading my fic, and again, please review :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**As is the custom of my people, I would first like to thank all the wonderful people who have favorited, followed, and reviewed my fic. ChangarangBass, Swagneato, windrunner123 (WarCraft ftw, but I personally like StarCraft more), ShadowMG, Turtleboyz, Deveroux0, LadySpindle, and TalonIbnLaAhad, I would like to personally thank you for doing either of the three. I would like to especially thank LadySpindle and TalonIbnLaAhad for their meaningful feedback on my fic, thank you LadySpindle for catching the mistakes that my lazy ass missed (I'll get around to fixing them XD) and thanks TalonIbnLaAhad for your nod to me in your fic. I suppose I should return the favor, so, guys, I would appreciate it if you wonderful people would read his fic ****Darkness Falls on Valoran****. His writing has dramatically improved and the basic plot is intriguing. Sad news though, my laptop's inner workings are fried so now I have to use the desktop to write updates, and I don't know how long it'll take for me to get a new laptop. The rate of updates may slow down, but for the time being, enjoy. **

"Sir, I must disagree with you on your decision. Having one of the common folk in the manor would create unforeseen risks and dangers towards you and your daughters. I must protest this intolerable act-"

"Captain, must I remind you of your place?"

The General raised a questioning eyebrow. He was currently in his study, a rather large, expansive room filled with relics from battles and duels, books of history and military tactics, and the portraits of the proceeding Du Couteaus.

The dark haired man's face flushed a bit as he answered his superior," No, Sir."

"Then why must you question my decision?"

"I question it because I am charged with the protection of you and your family. I am here to make sure that another incident like the last _never_ happens again. My predecessor failed his duty, and the Lady Du Couteau was assassinated. As a result, the previous Captain was executed. I hope that you remember all of this General, because having that street rat here will only serve to make my job more difficult. The Military cannot have the common people questioning the effectiveness of its operations. It would be disastrous, my Lord."

The General nodded grimly, reminded of the night he had lost his wife," I understand your concern, Zane, but I assure you, Talon will not be a security risk, quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. He will serve the House of Du Couteau with all his might, energy, and skill, and if the call goes out, he will be the first to answer it."

"How can you be so sure of this, if I may ask?"

"You ask too many questions Captain, but in this case, I will let it go."

The General leaned back into his chair, and propped his feet on the desk," I am absolutely convinced that Talon will serve this house with everything he can muster because I have won his respect. I have gained his respect through single combat, and as you know, I am the _only _person to have defeated him in combat. Talon lives and dies by the blade; the only power he respects is that which the blade gives. As I have managed to defeat the Blade's Shadow using the only power he respects, he, in effect, respects me."

The Captain opened and closed his mouth, unable to argue with his superior.

"My Lord, I hope you are right, for if you are not, then we will have a _very _potent killer that will be wandering about the estate."

"Well I am sure that you will be on top of it, Zane."

* * *

Talon gazed upon the estate in wonder. It was magnificent, practically glowing in all of its majestic glory. The position of the estate was that it would be illuminated by the rising sun in the background, adding to its magical appearance.

Even from his vantage point atop a hill maybe a half a mile away, Talon could distinguish the the seemingly random patterns the flowers carved into the vast gardens that dotted the Du Couteau estate. There was even an orchard off to the right, containing weeping willows surrounding a large pond. There was an ornate marble fountain in the well-tended lawn in front of the manor, and before that, a large set of black steel gates, guarded by a pair of the General's personal Guard, the Praetorians.

They were clad in black leather, the leather being enchanted or being made of a new metal alloy, which, either way, strengthened the armor so that it could take more abuse that their regular counterparts.

_Maximum maneuverability and protection… Interesting… _

As Talon made his way towards the manor, he noticed the soldiers guarding the gate had the coat of arms of the Du Couteau family applied either magically or physically onto their chest plates. It was a crimson eagle, its head turned left and its wings outstretched. Its talons grasped a banner that read 'Potestas.'

"Halt!" snarled one of the guards.

A spear point was dropped and thrust forward.

"Who are you?"

"I am Talon, I was told to meet a General Du Couteau here?"

"What business would the General have meeting trash like you?" the man hissed. "No one gets through these gates unless he is military, family, or guest. You are neither of those three. Now get the hell away from here before I impale you with my spear."

Talon pulled out a gilded paper the General had given him after he had accepted his 'proposition.' The paper held a message stated that the bearer was to be allowed through the gates, no matter what.

"How did you come by this?"

"The General gave it to me."

"Bullshit!" the Guard grabbed Talon by the shirt and hauled him bodily over his head.

"I asked you how you came into possession of that filth. Now answer me!"

"As I said before, the General gave it to me." Talon hissed.

"I am going to spill your innards you piece of shit-"

"That's enough out of you Erebus, I myself requested a meeting with him."

The General made his way towards the gate. He motioned for the other guard to open the gate.

The Praetorian looked at the General, flabbergasted, his mouth open.

"But General! What business would you have with the common folk?"

"Quiet Erebus, this does not concern you. It is a personal matter."

"But General! He is-"

"ENOUGH Erebus. You will be seeing a lot more of him in the days to come, and I expect that your treatment of him will change."

Rebuked, the guard nodded slightly, let Talon down, and timidly made his way back to his post.

The General nodded, evidently satisfied with how he dealt with the situation " Sorry about that, Talon. They can be a little overzealous about their duties. You must understand that they will lose their heads if any harm comes to me."

Talon nodded, but stayed silent. "Anyways, I've been expecting you. What do you say to a meal, eh?"

Talon struggled to keep his mouth from salivating too much.

* * *

Talon felt full, the first time he had ever felt that feeling in his natural life. He had never seen such a variety of food, never had he seen such fresh, untouched food. He had naturally stuffed himself, his appetite refusing to listen to reason.

But, that was when he was in the wonder of the amount of food before him. Talon decided he hated the feeling a bloated stomach gave him.

_A full stomach equates to a sleepy mind, and a sleepy mind results in you dying._

"I see that you enjoyed the meal?"

"I did." Talon paused, unsure of what to say next. "It was good, but I shouldn't have eaten so much."

The General cocked an eyebrow," Why?"

"A full stomach leads to gluttony and an inattentive mind. It can lead to death."

The General laughed," Your logic is impeccable, Talon. But I must require that you eat constantly for a while, so you may gain weight, which you'll turn into muscle of course."

Talon nodded, appeased by the General's argument.

The General examined him carefully. What did he see? Did he not expect someone so young? So scrawny?

"Was I not what you expected?"

"No, you were not. I was expecting someone older, more experienced. Instead, the Blade's Shadow was an orphan of twenty years that learned how to kill effectively by himself, how to survive in a hell such as the slums, and weighs less than two thirds than a typical male his age."

"Did you not see my face at the bakery? Surely you recognized how skinny I was then."

"No, I did not. Your billowing cloak did a very good of concealing your body structure."

Talon's mind turned to the aftermath of their duel in the rain, and the proposition. One aspect of their proposition was bothering him.

"Why do you trust me?"

"Hmm?" The General looked up, his face blank.

"Why do you trust me? After the duel, you turned your back on me. You trusted me not to stab you in the back. Second, you trusted that I would actually come to your estate. Third, you trust me enough to be in the same room with me, alone. And you want me to join you household? This requires a great amount of trust General, and yet, from our one encounter, you already trust me enough to request that I join your family. Why?"

The General sighed, evidently he had gone over this before," Why do I trust you. Well, there's the fact that you did not disappoint when I placed my trust you. Then there's the fact that I beat you in combat."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

The General snorted," You of all people should know, Talon. You live by the blade, and you will die by the blade. The blade is the only power you respect, the only power you crave, the only power you have. I have defeated you using that power. I also can help you appease your cravings for power, and thus, all in all, you respect me enough not to put blade in between my shoulder blades. Therefore, I concluded that you, Talon, were trustworthy."

"But it seems to be a rather excessive amount of trust for you to accept me into your house."

"That's another test, Talon, will you meet my expectations and become an even greater blade master than before, or, will you, regrettably, betray my trust and die for it?"

Talon stroked his scraggly beard, lost in thought. The he stood up, walked over to the General, and knelt before him.

"My life will be in your service, General, on one condition. That I take orders from no man except yourself, who has won my respect and loyalty."

* * *

Katarina ran towards the target dummy, jumped slightly to the right of it, and spun. As she spun, she extracted two daggers from their holsters on her pants using both of her hands. The left dagger found a home in the target dummy's head, the second one flew from her right hand and impaled a second dummy in front of her.

Any other person would've been satisfied with how that move panned out, especially considering that they would've been practicing it for the past hour. Katarina, however, was far from pleased from her performance so far.

_I must be faster. My drawing time can be faster, my aim more accurate. _She snarled as she wrenched free the dagger that was buried in the target dummy.

She looked around at the various assortments of daggers, knives, and blades. Along with all the deadly steel, there were parts and pieces of dummies that had been unlucky enough to bear the brunt of her rage.

She was still pissed, to say the least. The street rat's comment had ignited in her a rage that she had never felt before. She could feel the anger coursing through her veins whenever she thought about _him._

"Talon," she spat out the name like the murky pond water she drank when she was five.

Katarina looked around for more target dummies that she could unleash her wrath upon.

"Lady Katarina!"

Katarina flicked her hand, tossing away the dagger that was in her hand.

"I did not wish to be disturbed maid."

"But my Lady, it is your Father, he wishes to have a meeting!"

"Tell him that I'm busy!" she snapped, whirling about.

The maid took a step back," He says it's important. He has already summoned Captain Zane and your sister to his study."

Katarina blinked. _The Praetorian and Cassiopeia? _

"Did he tell you why?"

"No, my Lady, only that it required the three of you to be there."

Katarina scowled and cursed under her breath. "Tell my Father that I'll be there shortly."

* * *

Katarina made her way up the staircase that led to her Father's study. She hissed as she tripped over one of the steps.

"Having trouble completing elementary tasssksss, sssissster?"

Cassiopeia was currently residing on the plush couch in the anteroom to her Father's study.

"No, dear sister, I just seem to have found a loose board."

Katarina pressed down on the board that was barely above the rest, a testament to her hawk like eyesight. She glanced over at the double doors that led into her Father's stud.

"Where's the Praetorian?"

"Right here."

The man in question passed by Katarina and leaned on the balcony that was in front of the anteroom.

"Captain, do you know why my Father has summoned all of us to his study?"

"I have a suspicion."

"You might as well tell us, Zane."

The Captain scowled," As I said before, my Lady. It is only a suspicion. I am not completely sure if my suspicion is correct."

Katarina nodded slightly, and then looked down at the floor. "What happened to the rug?"

The Captain answered," The General had it removed beforehand."

"Does this reinforce your sssussspicion, Captain?"

Before the Captain could answer, the door opened and General Du Couteau stood before them.

"Zane, Cassiopeia, Katarina," he greeted each of them in turn. "I have called you here on a matter of familial importance."

Katarina's impassive face masked her inner turmoil. _Familial importance? What is this Father? What is happening?_

"Captain Zane, I believe you already have an inkling of what this is about."

The Captain scowled," You mean I already know what this is about."

The General let a humorless smile appear on his face. "Of course, Zane, you already know all about it. I only called you here so that your fears about him will be quelled."

Katarina's gut wrenched at the sentence of the Captain having fears about 'the guest.'

_What are you doing Father? _

"As for you my daughters, I have called you here to meet him. He will be your companion," he glanced at Cassiopeia," your friend, your mentor, your fellow assassin," the last two were sent towards Katarina.

"I expect him to be treated with the same respect and deference that you treat me with. Am I clear?" Katarina clenched her jaw as her Father glared at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes Father."

"Good. Now you may meet him."

The General opened the door and motioned for the trio to enter his study. At first, Katarina couldn't see anything, being blinded by the window that let light flood into the study, then she made out the shape of a man. Features slowly came into place, and the figure became-"Street rat?"

* * *

Talon was leaning against the desk, trying to use his sharp hearing to listen in on the conversation going on outside. Unfortunately, the door was thick, absorbing the sound waves, allowing him only to hear the loudest points of the conversation, of which there weren't any.

Then, the door opened, and the General entered, followed by three figures. It was a dark haired Praetorian, the headdress adorned woman, and the redhead.

He smirked to himself as she stared at him stupidly for several seconds, and then screeched," Street rat?"

_So that's what you call me. Well, I'll show you what a street rat can do you pompous bitch. _

The redhead, what was the name the General called her again? Ah yes, Katarina that was it. Katarina's face twisted into a series of angry lines as she turned to face her Father.

"Why did you choose _him _of all people?"

"Katarina, you wanted to have a competent opponent to face off against, yes? Well, this is the only person in all of Noxus that can stand toe to toe with you."

Katarina hissed," He is _street filth_, how can you trust him? He has no loyalties, no sense of duty or honor!"

"Only fools pledge their lives to honor," Talon replied, his face impassive he stood at ramrod attention.

Katarina's nails dug into her palms as her face began to turn as red as her hair.

"You _dare _speak to me you- you bastard?"

"Katarina!" barked the General," Outside, now!"

The General looked at Talon apologetically, and motioned for the Captain to begin grilling Talon.

Talon shook his head; he couldn't comprehend how someone as competent and skilled as the General could father such a child.

* * *

The General slammed the door shut, and turned to face his eldest daughter.

"Katarina, I imagined you would have some difficulty going along with this, but this scenario did not cross my mind. I thought you behave more maturely! What is it about him that you hate so much?"

"He. Is. Street filth. He will not reside here while I live!"

"Well he is going to, I have already made my decision on it and it stands. Talon _will _be treated as a guest, I expect it and demand it Katarina. I thought I would get this sort of reaction from Cassiopeia, not you! You are an _assassin_, you do not allow your emotions to cloud your judgment. You will treat Talon as if he were a guest!"

Katarina snarled at her Father," How can you not see the danger he poses to us Father? He could slit all of our throats in the dead of night and no one would ever know!"

"Talon poses NO danger towards our safety, he will serve our family until his dying breath. Do you understand Katarina?"

"No, I don't _Father_." Katarina snarled and left the anteroom.

* * *

Talon grimaced as he heard the General explode.

_The strong are impassive, emotions play no part in their life. Then again, he was the only one to beat me in single combat._

Talon remained stone faced and stood straight as the General reentered the study.

The General turned to face the Praetorian," Regarding Talon's questioning, do you have any problems with Talon at the present moment, Captain?"

The Captain turned to face his superior," No, my liege. However, I must ask that you receive counsel from High General Swain concerning this matter."

The General sighed, turned around, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I will talk to Swain to dispel any qualms you have with the current situation. The High General will agree with my decision, at least, he will. You may go, Captain."

The Captain gave the Noxian Military salute as he slammed a fist onto the left part of his chest," Noxus, now and forever," he barked.

The General turned to his youngest daughter as the Captain of the Guard left," Cassiopeia," his voice was tender, soft, loving," do you approve of him?"

Cassiopeia's eyes lingered on Talon as she spoke," He'll do."

* * *

Talon sat in the desk, looking at his newly polished and sharpened blades. He had managed to keep his blades in a usable condition while on the streets, but the blades here were practically new.

He had before him several sets of various daggers, lades, throwing knives and shurikens and, of course, the blade he had stolen from the mercs at the bakery. He picked up one of the blades and examined it.

_Steel. Pure steel. _

Talon had also received new clothing. He was amazed at how quickly the items had arrived, about a day after the orders had been sent to the tailor that the General used for his 'work' garb, the clothing had arrived. The articles of clothing Talon had requested were followed to the letter, and were made of new cloth.

Talon had cast off the garments he wore while in the streets and had been outfitted with some of the General's personal clothes, but now he had no need for them.

He was astounded at the quality of the cloth. It was soft to the touch, and light, allowing his joints to move without being hindered. It would be easy to penetrate, and could not be magically enchanted like the Guard's leather armor, but Talon was used to having to dodge and block blows, and wouldn't have it any other way.

He was still examining his new equipment when the General entered his room.

"Ah, I see you have received your new clothing and blades? Do you like it?"

"My Lord, the quality of the blades and clothing is… astounding. My blade has never looked so polished and deadly, even when I had first seen it."

The General looked pleased," Have you adjusted well to your new living arrangement?"

Talon nodded," The room is quite pleasant, and I like that it is quite bare. I like to know where things are."

"Good. I was about to talk to you about more furnishings, but it seems that you like it the way it is. Now, onto what I came here to talk to you about. After our duel we talked a little about your duties here, yes?"

"I believe we did."

"As you are under my service, and under no one else's, I will require you to complete some missions for me. The missions will be Military, they will be missions that no one else will be able to complete but you, Talon."

The General glanced at Talon, who was listening attentively," Your other duties will be to guard my daughters, but you have already deduced that, have you not?'

Talon nodded, not looking forward to that assignment," I assumed that was a must when you informed me of the 'proposition.'"

"Then I haven't misjudged you. There is also one other duty, that I ask of you."

"May I inquire as to what it is?"

"I ask that you train with Katarina."

As soon as the name left the General's lips, Talon's mouth spun downward in a scowl.

"I understand that both of you share a mutual… dislike for each other, but I would ask that you would train with her. It would drive both of you to greater heights of exertion and would improve your performance. It is always good to have someone to compete against; it forces people to do more and to take more time to do it."

Talon grimaced a little, but kept his thoughts about 'Kitty' to himself.

"When do I start?"

"Today."

* * *

Katarina threw a dagger towards the dummy. It landed with a satisfying _thunk_, and Katarina imagined the blood flowing from the mortally wounded Talon. She sneered at the Talon target and then plucked another throwing knife from the set on the ground.

"You ssseem to be obsssesssed with him."

The distinctive lengthening of the s signaled Cassiopeia's arrival.

"Shouldn't you be groveling about your appearance in your dungeon?" Katarina brought the dagger back and let it fly, watching it spin through the air and pierce Talon's chest.

"Well, I have decccided that I can't spend the ressst of my natural life in that dank room, sssso, I jussst _had _to go find my _dear _sssissster."

Katarina cast a glare in Cassiopeia's direction as her jaw set.

"You could be a dear and just leave me alone,"grumbled Katarina.

"Not a chanccce Katarina."

"Why are you really here Cassiopeia?"

"Well, Father isss sssending the new boy over here to train with you while he isss gone making a report to the High General."

"He's doing what? Why didn't he just come here and train me himself? He should've taken care of the Military business as soon as he arrived."

"Well, he did have sssome busssinesss to attend to."

"Like recruiting that pathetic street rat?" Katarina scoffed.

"Pathetic I may be, but I am not groveling about living a life of privilege."

Talon leapt from a nearby tree and landed next to the target Katarina had been throwing her daggers at. He eyed it critically and then said," Your aim is poor, Katarina, and you failed to detect me in the tree. We could start working on those topics."

Katarina snarled and drew another dagger. The throwing knife whistled past Talon's cloak, the real one, missing him by a hairsbreadth.

Talon's eyebrow arched," Were you trying to kill me, Katarina? In a life or death situation, one does not get a second chance."

"I don't need your help street rat."

"Street rat I may be, but I still know things that the famous Katarina Du Couteau does not."

Katarina began to grind her teeth," Go away Talon, my Father may have accepted you, but you will _never _find a home here."

"I don't need a home. I have lived without one for my whole life. I would like to see you live on the streets for a week."

"Are you questioning my abilities filth?"

"I am. Must I repeat my insult for you to understand it?"

Katarina screamed and leapt forward, intent on murder, her blades seeming to have appeared in her hands.

Talon's blade was drawn in an instant and Katarina suddenly found herself without her blades, which were currently flying to the left, knocked out of her hands by his fist.

"Looks like the Kitten has been declawed."

Katarina snarled and leapt back, drawing another pair of blades," Kitten? What the hell do you think I am?"

Katarina rushed Talon, sidestepping the knives he threw her way. She heard the audile pings of steel bouncing off cobblestone as she ducked underneath his fist, shuffled to her right, and then lunged forwards at his exposed flank.

He reacted quicker than expected, he thrust his hips backwards, avoiding the lethal blow she would've dealt, then dropped an elbow onto her back.

Dropping, she acted and dropped on all fours. She spun around on her hand and knocked Talon from his feet. As he fell, she leapt up raising one of her daggers, intent on ending the rat's insolence once and for all, only to have her wrist stopped in midair by his vice like-grip.

Talon then swung out at her with his left fist, catching her exposed midriff, causing Katarina to temporarily lose her breath and stumble backwards as Talon let his hold on her wrist loosen.

Talon then caught a sudden fist flung at his face, and deflected an oncoming fist. Suddenly, Katarina was being held by Talon in a competition of strength. If it was prolonged, Talon would definitely win.

Katarina leapt off the ground, towards her opponent, who, predictably, expected an attack at his exposed crotch, but received a pair of boots to the face. As Talon stumbled backwards, wiping away the blood that came out of his broken nose, he was kicked in the stomach by Katarina, who followed it up with a knee to the chin as he doubled over.

"Give it up Talon, I am the superior assassin." Katarina snarled triumphantly, though it was too soon as Talon charged forward and head-butted her.

As Katarina gasped for air, Talon replied with his trademark stone faced expression," It isn't over until it's over."

Katarina snarled, determined to finish what she began, and drew a pair of large blades with curved tips.

"You want to play? Fine, let's play, Blade's Shadow," she spat menacingly.

Talon assumed his combat pose as he revealed his two foot long blade.

Upon seeing his weapon, Katarina gave a half snarl half laugh," Compensating for something Talon?"

Talon ignored her taunt, and responded by moving forward. As Talon moved forward, he retrieved three shurikens from the side of his hip, spun around and unleashed the steel weapons in a cone shaped area.

Katarina in response to his offensive tactic bent backwards, showing off her ridiculous flexibility, bending her back almost perpendicular to her legs. When she saw the spinning wheels a death fly over her face, she snapped up, her blades at the ready for the inevitable assault that was following. Well, it _should _have been inevitable.

Katarina snarled as she scanned the area in front of her, looking for her opponent.

_Where have you run to this time? _

As if he was reading her thoughts, his voice hissed into her ear," I'm here, Katarina."

Katarina felt the edge of a blade rest upon her throat," I am willing to compromise with you Katarina, you could call it a little bit of Noxian Diplomacy." She could hear the smirk he had on his face. "Drop your daggers and admit defeat."

Katarina barked a short, humorless laugh," Admit defeat? To you? What do you think I am? One of those simpleton thugs you encountered on the street? You must realize that the Elite of Noxus are not the scum of Noxus, they are vastly different, as the night is different from the day."

She heard him sneer," And yet, you are at my mercy. I think that a singular beggar on the streets of Noxus is a hundred times tougher than you, a spoiled brat. I am disgusted that the General could have fathered such a child as you-"

He was cut short as Katarina drove a boot into this crotch.

She whirled around, fire in her eyes, "YOU DARE SAY I AM NOT WORTHY OF BEING A DU COUTEAU?"

Talon let a leering grin take the place of the impassive mask he usually showed. "I do."

Katarina let out a rather animalistic roar and leapt on top of him, and promptly began to pummel him with her fists.

* * *

"You are sure of this, Marcus?"

"Yes, I am High General."

Swain folded his hands in front of him contemplatively. "They could pose a problem. We shall keep an eye on them. In the meantime, double your security and _never _take leave your manor alone, or with confidential material."

"I have already doubled the security around the house and the security detail that will escort me and my daughters."

Swain nodded, the turned his attention to his bird, Beatrice? and began to stroke its feathers. The many eyed raven closed its eyes at the feeling, and began to shake its head.

"I have heard you have encountered the Blade's Shadow?"

"You have heard correctly High General, I came here to discuss him with you."

"As I suspected you would. You wish to keep him?"

"He has much potential, it would be a crime if his talents go to waste."

"But potential is just potential. What if he doesn't meet your expectations?"

"If he doesn't reach his full abilities then he is dead."

"Are you saying that as a threat or that he would rather die than not reach his full potential?"

"The latter of the two, High General."

"You have placed a great amount of trust, and to a certain extent, reputation on Talon. He is a man who grew up on the streets, he has no loyalties and his motives are selfish. Who is to say that he won't betray you to the aforementioned? They have as much, and even more power to offer him, if that is what he truly seeks. "

"I believe that what he truly seeks is a family. He seeks to be loved, to have someone to care for him, to care for someone."

"You sound sentimental, Marcus. Are you getting old? If you are, I could always replace you."

"I am not, Swain. I speak the truth, everyone longs for belonging to some extent. Even if Talon is a cold hearted bastard, I will eventually get to him. Even now, his loyalties lie with me."

"But not for Noxus as a whole, he is your personal soldier, a hitman. This could prove dangerous."

"And it could prove beneficial. He could become one of the most dedicated soldiers Noxus would ever bear."

"I am reluctant to accept him, but I will. For now. He will be under your command and help defend you and your family. However, if he proves to be a loose cannon, you will be punished."

"I would expect no less, High General."

**Yeah, another long chapter! This chapter should make the word count for the fic as of now around 16-17k words! Already a new record for me! I would also like to thank all of you for reviewing, favoriting, and following. I have set new records in that department, in terms of how fast I accumulated them. I commend all of you on being such AWESOME people, and thank all of you who wrote reviews. Thanks for reading my fic, and please review :D **


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, as you may expect, I will first say a few (not really) words of thanks. Thank you Freight Bringer, Sotlenwarpig, windrunner123, WingsofRequiem, frunkus, Talon Tylers, Lord of t3h ring, Feels on Wheels, TalonIbnLaAhad, KotycDuCouteau, pie6013, A Guy Named George, and Heafus14 for favoriting, reviewing, and following my fic. You have no idea how much it means to me, as it really eats away at you, waiting to see how your fic is received by your peers. As such, I would like to thank all of you who chose to support me in any of the three ways (although I like reviews much better), and would like to personally thank windrunner123, TalonIbnLaAhad, and LadySpindle (why no review!?) for PMing me. Your messages are always gratefully received, and I really, really appreciate you taking the time to read my PMs and reply with your own meaningful advice. I will now advise to go and read WingofRequiem's fic, and give him the fantastic support you have given me. It's much appreciated by the authors of any fic. It's worth your time as his fic is completely original, unlike **_**anything **_**I have ever read (by the way, thanks for the multiple nods to me in your fic). Now about the change of illustration for my fic, I would like to thank niyako66 on DeviantArt for the magnificent piece of work **_**Noxian Assassin **_**(what a coincidence) that I have as my cover. I hope you guys like it. Finally, school is finally out! I'm sorry if it seemed like my updates slowed down, but, as I mentioned before, my laptop died out on me and I was busy with finals, but now I can start working on my fic again. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! **

The General trudged wearily up the steps. He was exhausted, the longer than usual meeting with the High General had drained him of his energy. It didn't help that the subjects the High General chose to discuss were exceedingly… dangerous.

The General blinked tiredly as he glanced at the Praetorians that stood at the entrance to the manor. He acknowledged their military style salute. As they opened the doors, he came face to face with Captain Zane, who looked a bit flustered.

"Zane?" the General didn't even bother raising an eyebrow, he was much too tired," what is it?"

The Captain cleared his throat and rubbed it nervously," It's about Katarina and the… boy."

This piqued the General's concern," Katarina and Talon? What about them?"

"Well, it seems that Talon provoked Katarina into a fight and-"

He was roughly shoved aside by the General as he rushed forward, his cape billowing behind him.

* * *

Katarina hissed, she could practically taste victory. They had been dueling for over an hour now, baking in the hot sun. They hadn't stopped for anything; the one servant who had timidly interrupted their match almost took a dagger to the head. No one bothered them after that, and that just fine with her. She couldn't afford any distractions, she needed all of concentration and accumulated skill to defeat Talon, to put him in his place once and for all.

Her eyes were attracted by the wound she inflicted on him, about three inches from his heart. Katarina had managed to vault over his shoulders, and in the process, drive a blade into his chest. She was somewhat disappointed that Talon didn't drop dead as soon as she stabbed him, but had shrugged it aside as she took pleasure in knowing that Talon would have to suffer for an even longer period of time.

"Prepare to meet your maker street rat," she taunted," You are outmatched, you've been out of your element ever since you joined the House of Du Couteau."

"Then perhaps we should test your metal against my steel."

The cold emotionless reply infuriated her. He was the only one she couldn't evoke an emotion from. Any taunt or sneering remark she sent his way was either shouldered aside, or was countered by a comment that fanned the flames of her ever growing fury.

She snarled, then stepped forward, spun on her heel, and brought her twin blades up, and then down, crashing onto Talon's blade. The impact sent shock waves up her arms, and the deafening clang of steel against steel made her inwardly cringe.

Katarina didn't pause for a moment, the instant she made contact she lunged forwards leading with her right arm. Only Talon's quick reflexes and twisting hips saved him from a three inch cavity in his chest. Moving fluidly, she spun the dagger in her hand so that she was holding it with the blade pointed to the right, and then swung backwards at Talon.

It took Talon a quarter of a second to comprehend what she was doing, and it took him a fourth of that time to bring his blade down on her hand. The blade sent waves of a stinging pain outwards from the focal point, numbing her hand. Katarina ignored it and responded by leaping away from Talon.

"You aren't playing to draw blood I see. I thought you were used to fighting for survival?" she hissed, partly pissed that Talon wasn't taking her seriously, and partly determined to utilize her apparent advantage to the best of her ability.

Talon just raised an eyebrow and quipped," Survival? I have already proven myself in that capacity. It is _you _who needs to prove to _me _that you can survive."

Katarina felt the burning rage inside her flare up, and she let out a snarl.

Katarina threw her two blades, and then drew two more from their scabbards and sent them flying towards Talon. Talon was forced to block, jump, dodge, dive, twist, and twirl to avoid the veritable steel whirlwind that encompassed him.

Katarina ground her teeth in annoyance when she palmed empty space, discovering that she had exhausted her supply of steel teeth. She looked up to find Talon rushing towards her, his blade arm trailing ever so slightly behind him in that peculiar stance of his.

Katarina noticed Talon's left leg tense up ever so slightly, and immediately brought up her hands for the aerial assault that should've followed. Instead, Talon, realizing that his original plan of attack had been anticipated, pivoted on his left foot as he stepped forward, withdrew a throwing knife, and sent the projectile whistling through the air at Katarina's exposed midriff.

Katarina twisted to avoid the blade, then, as she spun, stepped forwards and launched herself at him. She grinned in triumph as Talon let out a breath of surprise, and tackled him. She was ready to claw his face with her fingernails when his arm shot out and grabbed her wrist. Katarina snarled and attempted to punch his face, but was subdued when Talon's other arm caught her free wrist.

Katarina leaned forwards, pushing her arms to the side, trying to get his iron grip to loosen. Talon was equally determined to keep his hands on her wrists as he tightened his hold on her even more. Katarina locked eyes with Talon, trying to stare him down. Most people quailed under her gaze, she was Katarina Du Couteau, eldest daughter of the widowed General Marcus Du Couteau, elder sister of Cassiopeia the seductress, an assassin (almost) without parallel. He was only a street rat, a common sneak thief, not even fit to tie the laces of her boots. And yet, Katarina felt an icy cold feeling begin to envelop her heart, come to think of it, there was the distinct feeling of metal pressing against her ne-

"Katarina, stop straddling Talon and get up."

Katarina's head shot up and she was thrown back into reality by her Father's voice.

"Father," she hissed," I'm busy showing this street rat his proper place." She underlined the words 'street rat' with a contemptuous snarl and by kneeing her opponent in the ribs.

Talon's face betrayed no emotion, showing only cold, unmoving facial features. Katarina hissed in annoyance, and was about to lunge at his gaunt face with her forehead when the General intervened.

"Katarina," he spoke the name in a dangerously low whisper," I have neither the patience nor the time to deal with your childish antics. Get off Talon, _now_."

Katarina glared at her father reproachfully, her lip curling into a snarl as her father motioned with his sword for her to move.

As Talon stood up, the General looked at him critically, assessing the damage she had done. The General suddenly turned red, and motioned at the deep wound about three inches to the right of his heart.

"Did you not feel that wound as you were fighting?" he said, his jaw twitching ever so slightly.

"I remember being on the receiving end of one her daggers, and the initial pain, but it didn't bother me, as I was… preoccupied."

"I see," he looked around as Captain Zane rushed into the arena.

"Captain Zane," the Captain returned his greeting with the military salute," escort Talon to the infirmary, he has sustained a near fatal wound so be quick about it," he snapped.

The Captain nodded his understanding and barked out orders to several Praetorians that had accompanied him. The General watched the procession and made sure his newly acquired asset made it back into the manor before turning on his eldest daughter.

"What do you have to say for yourself Katarina?" his usually calm gray eyes flashed in anger, his voice dripping with vehemence.

Katarina looked almost bored as she leaned against the wall playing with one of her trademark daggers," I don't see why you're so worked up about it Father. He _is _after all just a servant," she paused, looking contemplative," almost as bad as being street _filth_."

The General struggling to keep his head clear of the red fog that threatened to envelop it snarled," You could have _killed _him, Katarina. That was uncalled for, I understand that you were dueling and that sometimes things can happen, but you almost stabbed his _heart_."

"That was the point," she stated nonchalantly, looking at her father coolly," I just wanted to test how well he would perform under those conditions." She smirked arrogantly," He did well, for a street rat. A _true _Noxian wouldn't have let himself be bullied around like that."

The General bit back the curses he so badly wanted to scream, and composed himself.

"Well, I have seen him in action, and have dueled against him. He lasted longer against me than you have, so I think that Talon didn't give his all in this duel."

Katarina's eyes exploded, flames practically erupted from her glare.

"Why are you taking _his _side," she spat, her gloved hands balling up.

"Because you are acting like a spoiled child and not like the assassin you are. An assassin doesn't allow emotions and personal squabbles and qualms get in the way. A _Noxian _assassin does their duty, and will do their duty. They follow through on their obligations and their oaths. You, Katarina, are no ordinary assassin, not even an ordinary Noxian assassin. You are and Du Couteau, a family with a long and proud history of serving Noxus, putting duty before family, and because of that we have won great honor. I will not have you taint that honor because you despise the one person in all of Valoran that can stand toe to toe with you in combat. It. Is. _Ridiculous_." He punctuated each word by forcing his face closer and closer to her until he was staring down at her," You will tolerate him, you will accept him. You will apologize. I expect this to be the last time we _ever _have this conversation." The General abruptly turned, his cape swishing, sheathed his sword, and left his eldest daughter.

* * *

Cassiopeia watched from her balcony, she was quite pleased with how it turned out on the whole. It was quite entertaining to see Katarina, the favored one, get a tongue lashing from the most revered figure in her life. Cassiopeia's tongue, snake in appearance and function, flickered out as if tasting the sweetness of justice.

_At last that self-righteous bitch gets what she deserves. _

Cassiopeia sighed contentedly and gleefully retreated into the inner recesses of her mind, reliving the duel between her elder sister and Talon.

She could clearly see the shock that Katarina expressed, even though the signs were miniscule and barely noticeable, the slight crinkle around her eyes, the tensing of her jaw, the color distortion of her eyes.

Cassiopeia had first noticed it when they were introduced, it had caught her by surprise. At first, Cassiopeia was decidedly… disinterested. Or rather, she was feared what the boy would think of her, as she _was _half snake, and that was an instant turn off for any man.

_Except for him. _

When Cassiopeia first locked eyes with him, she expected to see fear, disgust, hate. Instead, Talon had met her with a steady gaze, it was as if he was studying her. He was... _intrigued_. It was the first time in a _very _long time since anyone had looked at her with such… interest, and without such perverted interests.

It had provoked her interest, as most men saw her as a beast, an untamed monster that was equal parts monstrous being and deadly beauty. But he didn't fear her, he just saw… what did he see? Cassiopeia looked down at her open palms, as if the answer would fall from the sky into her hands.

_Why is he not afraid of me? This hideous… thing._

She blinked, and looked at the faraway sun that was beginning to set.

_I suppose I must pay a visit, and apologize for Katarina's stupidity. _

Cassiopeia's forked tongue snaked out again as she contemplated her next move.

* * *

Talon clenched his jaws in an effort to keep from hissing in pain as the nurse began to clean his wounds. He had several, the one the General had given him had reopened, several minor cuts and scratches, and finally, the rather serious one near his heart.

He thought back to that moment, when he had lunged forwards after giving her a knock on the head, expecting to have her throat at the end of his blade, only to have her flip over his head and bury one of her daggers inside of his chest. It had hurt like hell, he recalled, he was surprised at her dexterity, speed and flexibility. While he was definitely her superior in melee and hand to hand combat, in the event of knife throwing she was a master.

He grudgingly allotted the Kitty points in that category, his lips twisting into an expression of contemplation.

A polite cough drew his attention," General!" he exclaimed, somewhat surprised at his visit.

The General cocked an eyebrow," Lost in thought are we Talon? It seems very unlike you. May I inquire as to what you were thinking about?"

Talon nodded, as he turned his attention back to the middle aged nurse who was currently dabbing alcohol at the wound Katarina had inflicted on his chest.

"Does it hurt?"

Talon shook his head," I've suffered long enough in the slums so that pain is a common thing, I feel almost lost without it."

He saw the nurse blanch and heard her retch as she turned around to find the bandages. The General paid no attention to the woman as he continued with his interrogation," So, why did you instigate the duel?"

Talon detected a subtle hint of anger, and he turned his gaze back to the General.

"Forgive me my Lord, but I wanted to… experience firsthand to full extent of your daughter's abilities, and to make sure she pushed herself I had to ignite the flames so to speak."

The General nodded understandingly, the trace of anger now gone as he went over Talon's logic.

"She is quite easily manipulated, is she not?"

"Yes she is, but she is rather unpredictable as well. You have to be careful with how you try and control her, or else she will just act on anger and not rationale. She is quite volatile, something like a hexplosive."

The General snorted in amusement," I've heard Katarina called hotheaded, violent, sadistic, spiteful, but never volatile."

"I try and set myself apart, General."

"I see. How did my daughter fare?"

Talon hesitated a little in his answer as the nurse returned with a hefty set of bandages," She is extraordinarily dexterous and flexible. That coupled with her unnatural speed and her uncanny ability with throwing knives makes for a very deadly assassin." Talon spoke slowly, grudgingly letting each compliment slip out of his mouth. It tasted foul. "But, she is prone to extreme acts of… bloodlust? As I said before, she is too easily manipulated, even though she is calm and in control of herself most of the time. She must work on not being so easily agitated by some subjects?"

"Would you please elaborate?"

"She is your daughter, General, surely you would know your daughter's weaknesses better than I?"

"That is not the case, Talon," the General looked at him sorrowfully," I have a duty, and duty comes before family, and as much as I hate that, it is what must be done."

Talon nodded, feigning sympathy, trying to understand the reason why the General put up with his daughter's antics.

"What don't you understand Talon?"

Talon caught off guard, took a moment longer in his answer," I just don't understand why you put up with your daughters, my Lord."

"Family, Talon. Family is about caring about the other person, not just because of blood or marriage relations, it's because you genuinely care about their well-being and do not wish to see them hurt. It is a bond, that unfortunately, the Noxian High Command doesn't see value is," the General added distastefully, his face sour. "I only put up with the High Command because they are competent in their duty, which is protecting Noxus, and by extension, my daughters."

The General shifted in his position by the door," Talon, do you see me as heartless?"

Talon shook his head in silent disagreement. "I see. Do you see me as weak?"

Talon once again shook his head, mystified by what the General was trying to tell him. "So, I am emotional and love my daughters. Do you not see that as weak?"

Talon paused, unsure of how to answer. The General was strong, but his ideals weak. It was a paradox in and of itself, it went against Noxian tradition, everything Talon had ever learned.

"No," was his quiet answer.

"Do you know why?"

Talon shook his head again," It's because of family. Family, love, caring, those qualities give a person more determination and strength than petty revenge and hatred ever could. It's because you are fighting not only for yourself, but for the people you care about. Of course, that is not to say that you have to care for you enemies, only for your family"

Talon sat in silence, letting his arm be dressed by the nurse who was quietly weeping. Talon pursed his lips as he mulled over the information the General gave him.

The General stood up from his position on the door frame," Katarina should be along shortly to apologize."

"I don't require her apology, General."

"I insist. You are part of the family, you realize that, yes?"

Talon didn't get a chance to answer as the General then spun on his booted heel and left, his cape snapping crisply, leaving Talon to brood over his early life.

_Fuck, it's like Kayvn all over again. You gain a companion and it weakens you… You are thinking and feeling things that never bothered you before… _Talon's forehead furrowed in thought, as he reviewed his position. _Even with Kayvn it wasn't this bad, at least with that stupid boy I gained something worthwhile from that… Perhaps it would be prudent to jump the ship as the sailors say… No. I have owe a life debt to the General, and I will keep that one oath. In the meantime, I will have to work on not letting his sentiments get to me. _

Talon bowed his head, the General was strong, there was no doubt about that. But, Talon would be stronger, he wouldn't be held back by family, or friends, or kin, or whatever they were to him. He would stand alone and because of that, he would be strong. He would survive, like he did in the streets, because he worked alone and didn't have anybody to worry about. He would be the epitome of Noxian strength.

**Well, this wasn't as long as my other chapters, but I hope you still found it entertaining. If you were wondering why I didn't include the s's to Cassiopeia's thoughts, it's because I assumed that she would only talk that way because of her tongue, but, in conversations with herself, she wouldn't have the lisp. I know that I have a fight scene in all of my chapters, and I'm trying to grow out of that, so that my whole fic isn't based solely on combat, but with an even balance of action and psychological elements. Hopefully I can achieve that goal. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and please review, they are encouraging and help me find out what I can do better on. **


	6. Chapter 6

**First off, I would like to apologize to you all as my update time is a little bit slow. I have been feeling a bit under the weather recently, and couldn't work on the fic, and for that I'm sorry. Hopefully I will be able to work on the fic for about an hour every day for the rest of the summer, at least I'm hoping that I am. Anyways, onto better news, I have passes over 2,000 views on my fic! I want to thank all of you awesome people who have reviewed, favorited, and followed. You have my thanks, LadySpindle (arriving late to the party I see?), Freight Bringer, Cherucloud, Lhilium, MiriaJiyuu, Talon Du Couteau, KodycDuCouteau, ElitexD, ChangarangBass, 4SSASSIN, TalonIbnLaAhad, Talon Tylers, frunkus, pie6013, windrunner123, Deveroux0, Gillfish, Heafus14, ShadowMG, A Guy Named George, Desodus, Feels on Wheels, Turtleboyz, Zothar, Stolenwarpig, spintowin, deadmannn, WingsofRequiem, kiman1917, ThatGuy, Lord of t3h ring, and the anonymous guest. I will now introduce a new part of our little Author's Note here, called Talking Back where I reply publicly to all the reviews you sent me (more likely it's just that I copy past the PMs, such is my laziness :3). **

**Freight Bringer: Hmmm, I'm feeling pretty sleepy and so I have no idea what you're talking about lol, but I'll make an effort to understand what I did wrong later. I'm glad you liked it :P**

**Talon Du Couteau: Well, she does need to have some nickname to call you by, Talon, and I just thought that 'street rat' was appropriate. Anyways, I appreciate your fava and I hope that you will enjoy the rest of my fic (I'll try and not disappoint).**

**Lord of t3h ring: I will eventually send them on a mission together, as that can affect their relationship a whole lot, and it is probably for the best if I do include a mission. I'm glad you liked the "awarding the kitty points" line, I seem to be making fun of Katarina with all my kitty lines (the kitty has been declawed). Erm, in Assassin's Crush they don't get along in the beginning, and I was partly inspired by the writer, was it Rip the Wings of a Butterfly? Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read and review, and I am happy that you enjoyed my fic :D **

**LadySpindle: I was hoping people would attribute the tension between the General and Swain to the mission the General carried out, and to the fact that it's Swain. Swain is probably (by probably I mean he is) power hungry and wants to forge Noxus into a strong nation so it can have the luxury of Demacian lap dogs, so, in order to do that, he must climb in the ranks, and as a result, he must take each threat seriously, even the General, who only wants the best for his daughters. **

**Well, I put that in there for a few laughs :3 **

**Yes, Katarina is very childish, she was after all spoiled rotten, and her father is almost never there, and she doesn't have a great relationship with her sister, so we could attribute some of her childishness to being isolated. Also, there's the point that it's Talon, a street rat who showed her up, she has to feel a little miffed, her reputation and all (she doesn't go by the Sinister Blade at this point, but she would have some popularity/esteem). **

**I just always imagined that they would have a really tense relationship, with both of them being in the League, their Father disappearing, both of them competing for their Father's attention, their Mother never being mentioned (presumably dead) and, well, it's Noxus. **

**I just assumed that Katarina would mature late on as she completes actual missions (her lore), and I'll try and use that to mature her relationship with Talon. I just assume that she would be hotheaded for the reasons I stated before, and because she's isolated. That and because she's a redhead :D **

**I introduced Kayvn for that purpose, as I think Talon would try and push away anybody that tries to get close to him by using Kayvn as a reminder, as Talon can no doubt attribute some close calls to Kayvn's incompetence. **

**Well, yes, but I feel like my fic could use a more mental aspect added into the mix, to make it more interesting. My example would be Ender's Game, it gets so intense because Orson Scott Card incorporates the mental aspect of isolation, loneliness, and guilt. I suppose I shouldn't worry if the reviews are generally positive, but if I do manage to incorporate it, it would make my fic so much better. Only problem is, I don't know how I should go about doing it :/ **

**Hmmm, I suppose going on missions has something to do with it, taking out his rage on some Demacian scout would help XD **

**Note: I'm sorry if it goes everywhere, but the PMs between us tend to get mixed up and such. **

**WingsofRequiem: I would expect minor typos, as I usually gives my fics a once over as I am extremely lazy, I'll try and break out of that habit though. Yeah, there is a slight discrepancy in the timeline as Cassiopeia was at the arena, and then at the balcony, but it's minor and self-explanatory. **

**Well, what can I say? Short and sweet. **

**I don't think it would be forbidden, as the General would need a male heir to pass down the family name, and it would be weird I suppose, but I'll figure it out, eventually. I personally don't think the General would be too much of a hard ass about it, just as long as they are worthy and would take care of his daughters.**

**Hmmm, I had an image in my mind when I was talking to one of my reviewers, LadySpindle… It was something like that… lol, what a coincidence. I bid thee a good journey, Requiem.**

**KotycDuCouteau: Thank you, I pride myself in being able to keep my characters in character. **

**It's a shame really, he's such an awesome character, there's so much potential for him.**

**I suppose it's cause Talon is supposed to be the calm and collected one, but it kinda shows that he's human, and that's going to be a main point in my fic. I won't have him cursing a lot, if I did it too much it would destroy the image I've made for him, but he'll progressively become more human as we advance in the fic. **

**Let me know what you think of the new addition to the AN, do you like it? do you hate it? As always, have a great time reading my fic and please drop a review, it makes me very happy to see your feedback :D **

"You can't be serious! After all this time, and he _finally _adds on more security! This makes it practically impossible to complete the mission! Now we aren't dealing with just two, it's three of them, THREE! And this isn't including the tip off-"

"Quiet Salazar! You do realize that we're not meeting in the most private of places."

"Of course I realize that Kurine, I'm not as daft as you are."

"Would you two stop you bickering? The milady will be arriving soon!"

"You know what she'll decide Bard, she'll want to go ahead and start! We cannot start now, after all we've been through, after all this time! We _need _more time to prepare. We _cannot _go now, to go now would be foolishness and-"

"Are you questioning my decisions, Salazar?"

"Milady, I- I only meant to be cau-"

"You seem to know me rather well, Salazar. I mean, you _predicted _my decision before I even had a chance to announce it officially. I suppose you could use your gift of predicting the future to find out what happens to those who question my authority. "

"Of course, milady."

"Good, now shut your mouth. Garth, take him outside, I don't need this fool compromising our organization. So, who have we selected to complete the task?"

"We found a mercenary, milady. He is part of the Azul Kanal, a tribe of nomads that reside in Demacia."

"Demacia of all places… what does he specialize in?"

"He is an assassin-mage milady, he specializes in stealth through either conventional or magical means. He can get in, complete the mission, and get out. If need be, he can fight his way out and escape without a trace."

"Will he be able to take care of himself? I want to be as excluded from his mission as possible."

"Really milady, I would think that you would have more faith in our abilities of selecting our hired grunts."

"I didn't get this far by trusting my subordinate's abilities, Kurine. I want a full report."

"Yes milady."

"You do have the ritual completed, yes?"

"Yes milady, but might I ask _why _it is required?"

"Precautions Erwin. They pay off."

"But, is it really necessary? Why go through the trouble of picking an assassin that can fight off a whole battalion of soldiers then?"

"We needed the best, Erwin. Is your curiosity sated? You could join Salazar outside. Good. I notice our High Command informant is looking at us?"

"What?"

"Don't be stupid Erwin, you must know by now that the High Command likes to keep tabs on its populace."

"Well yes but-"

"Then be quiet and let us discuss the matter of the assassination, the informant is not a threat as long as we we don't draw unnecessary attention."

* * *

Talon grimaced as he tenderly changed the used bandages around his shoulder and chest. The wounds were quite tender, and he took extra care with his chest as the nurse had been forced to cauterize it as she wanted to close it before an infection could take hold.

Talon had managed to barely hold in his screams. He had felt great pain before, but _damn_, being burned alive changed one's perspective of pain quite a bit. He eyed the bottle of slave the nurse had left behind on the table to the left of his cot. She had ordered him to apply it three times a day to his shoulder and chest until the container ran out. The first time he had dabbed it on one of his wounds it had created this mild burning sensation, creating more of a warmth rather than a burning feeling. It was pleasant and even comforting. At least it was until the bitch slapped on another salve that paralyzed that part of his body, forcing him to endure even more excruciating pain.

The ensuing pain felt like a cross between a sword being shoved repeatedly into his tendons, a dragon raking its claws across his flesh, mixed in with the heat of an exploding sun. Talon put off applying the salves and turned his attention to the breakfast that was laid out before him.

He had a rather small selection of foods, a pasty gray porridge-like substance that smelled of dead rat and an unpleasantly green slime looking drink. He leaned forward and examined the concoction that was the drink; it was thick and clung to the sides, and- what was that smell? It was then that he spotted the paper that instructed him to take a spoonful of each salve and mix them in with the drink. At that, Talon snarled and promptly disposed the food in a nearby waste bin and attempted to get out of bed.

It was rather difficult, seeing that the nurse had the foresight to chain his legs to the bed which was, in turn, bolted to the floor.

_To stop me from getting out of bed early? Well, she was very passionate about me staying here until she was satisfied with how my wounds were healing… Does she distrust me that much? _Talon grinned _She was right to. _

_Ah, looks like fortune smiles upon me today. _Talon spotted a metal pin that had been discarded, left upon the table to his right. He strained to reach it, but the fact that his feet were chained to the bed allowed little movement, so he was forced to roll onto his right shoulder and reach out with his left hand.

It hurt like a bitch, but Talon managed to grasp the pin with his thumb and index fingers, and hurriedly brought it back. Breathing out in relief as the pressure on his shoulder relented, he sat up with the help of his left arm and began to pull at the chains. They were slack enough so that they could move a little, which was all he needed as he stretched forwards until he stomach was parallel to the bed and began to pick at the lock. Beads of sweat began to pop out on his forehead as he felt his abs burning as he pushed himself even farther forward in an effort to get a better angle on the lock, and he was rewarded with a metallic _click_.

Sighing in satisfaction and relief, Talon fell backwards onto his bed as the metal rope slid off the bed and landed with a resounding _clank _on the wooden floor.

_Now to get to my room and dress in something other than this vomit colored smock._

* * *

Katarina sat idly at the dining table, toying with her food, scooping up food here and there, stabbing at a random pea. The dining table was quite large, as was the dining room. Her mother had been a fan of dinner parties as she recalled, and the table and room had to be big enough to accommodate up to thirty guests at a time. Now that she was dead, the extravagant dinner room was pretty much bare, except for a few choice sets of armor and painting her father had brought in, and held only three seats.

_Four_ she corrected herself, glaring at the new seat to her right. _Ever since that boy got here, everything has changed. Cassiopeia is even more cross and annoying than she used to be, Father is acting irrationally, the number of guards has increased… _

Her lip curled into a snarl as she noticed Cassiopeia staring at her with a malicious smirk forming on her lips.

"Father," her silky smooth voice sounded out," how isss Talon?"

The General cracked his knuckles, it really was a bad habit," Mrs. Powell reported that he was doing fine, aside from some minor discomfort caused by the bandages and salves."

"Will he be joining usss for breakfassst Father?"

"Of course he isn't you dolt," Katarina snarled, her right hand balled up around her fork," he's in the infirmary. If he was joining us for breakfast he'd be here by now. "

_The wound should be enough to keep him there for at least three weeks. Three weeks of scum free life._ Her lip curled in a vicious smile. _It __was a rather nice touch of mine to get her to add the chains though… _

The General eyed his daughter disapprovingly, as if he read her thoughts," Not necessarily Katarina, he may be joining us."

Katarina's eyes narrowed as she asked," What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is that a certain someone may or may not have left a pin behind, just barely within his reach," the General calmly stated, and then proceeded to cut open an egg and eat it. "Superb," he said, eyeing the yellow-white substance," I must commend the cook on a job well done."

Katarina seethed inwardly as her grip on the handle of the fork grew tighter, the squelch of leather and metal was the only thing that broke the silence.

_You what? _Katarina inwardly roared, _You expect me to sit next to that boy? _

At that moment the tall double doors opened, and a purple clad figure stepped into view. Talon paused, then walked over to the General's side and bowed," The Captain said I would find you here, General."

"Of course, sit down Talon, you must be hungry. The nurse isn't a believer in feeding wounded men good food."

"It doesn't really matter too much to me, my Lord."

"Of course it does Talon, it's important for a man your age to eat well."

Talon eyed the open seat uncomfortably and opened his mouth but was interrupted by the General," Talon. I insist," the General spoke with an air of finality, his gaze leaving no room for debate.

"Of course General."

Talon made his way to Katarina's seat and sat down stiffly, his back rigid, and began to unconsciously lean away from Katarina. A minute distance, but still there nonetheless. Katarina glared daggers at Talon from the corner of her eye but quietly continued to pick at her food.

Talon studied the food arrayed before him, unsure of what to eat.

"I would recommend the eggs and muffins Talon, they are excellent."

Talon bobbed his head and reached across the table for the muffins, and then paused as he caught the General's disapproving gaze.

"Manners ,Talon."

Talon hesitated before he answered," Could I have some muffins?"

"Better. We should work on that though. You must learn the workings of the aristocracy Talon. It will help when you are deployed."

"I know I will require these mannerisms as I will be living here, but at what point in my career as an assassin would I require these skills?" Talon inquired, genuinely curious. The General was a man of simple tastes; he lived more like one of the middle class than the typical Noxian Elite. Talon assumed that the General really wouldn't care about what did besides his training with Katarina.

_It seems as if the General is more serious about me being inducted into the family than I thought previously… Could be potentially life threatening… _

"As you will carrying out missions for me, and then in effect, for the Noxian High Command, you need these… habits, they need to become second nature. You must know how to act if you find yourself in Demacian territory. If you act in such a crude manner, it could ward off potential informants and blow your cover among other things. Learning how to be civil will be essential to your success as an assassin of Noxus."

"I thought I was to be an assassin, not a spy?"

"You may do some reconnaissance and intelligence gathering here and there. 90 percent of your work will be assassinations, but the learning of manners will still help you in all walks of life. I plan to adopt you, and then you will be forced to attend parties and such with the rest of the family."

Talon noticed Katarina at the edge of his peripheral vision clenching her utensils, her arms shivering in her rage. Cassiopeia on the other hand looked... pleased?

"If you plan to adopt me, I would only assume that you plan to give me an education?"

"Of course."

Katarina looked mortified, her anger momentarily forgotten. Her mouth opened and shut several times before she could form a coherent sentence.

"You plan to give him a formal _education_? Father, that is against the _law_. You know why we can't educate the rabble, it would lead them to becoming too smart for their own good! It could cause an uprising!"

The General nodded," Yes we do suppress the general public, but when a _special _case such as Talon comes along, the rules can be… discarded. With the approval of the High Command of course."

"The _High Command _agreed with this?"

"Yes, Swain, Darkwill, the rest of the High Command and the Council. They know of Talon. They agree with me. It's not like it's anything new, I'm sure you've heard of the two brothers, what were their names? Draven and Darius? Ah yes, it must be them, the Purger and the Executioner. In any case, this, how do I say it, bending of the law has been happening for a long time. The practice of adopting children from the street goes back all the way to Lothar the Conqueror. Once we find a potentially useful resource, we take it. It's all for the glory of Noxus." The General shrugged nonchalantly and brought up his glass of water.

Katarina folded her arms across her chest," Is there anything you would like to tell me Father? This morning seems to be _full _of surprises."

Talon stopped listening, he didn't want to hear another argument between the brat and her Father. The news was surprising to say the least, the thought of the aristocracy and the military taking in children such as himself and training them and educating them was news to him. As far as he knew, he was the first of his kind.

_Glory to Noxus eh? _

Talon's mind drifted to the comments the General had calmly dropped towards the end of his speech, he seemed to referring to him as an… inanimate object.

_Is that all I am? A weapon? A blade? I suppose I should be. It makes my job much easier. _Talon mentally shrugged his thoughts aside as he turned his attention towards his untouched breakfast.

He eyed the eggs, they were like nothing he'd seen before. The only eggs he had seen before were oval shaped and came in two colors, white and a light brown. He grasped the fork, its feeling was foreign in his hand. Talon switched over to the knife, it's somewhat familiar feel soothing his awkwardness.

_Much better._

He began to cut through the egg by holding the knife as he would a dagger, with the blade pointing down and the handle up, but was thwarted when the egg refused to stay in place. Talon's lip curled up in a snarl and he quickly glanced at Katarina and the General, who were still occupied in their increasingly heated debate about the education of "street scum," as put so eloquently by none other than Katarina. Talon grabbed the fork he had previously discarded and handled it awkwardly, its anatomy made no sense to him, the weight of the fork was offset by the handle and it wasn't as self-explanatory as a blade.

_No matter._

Talon stabbed downwards and let out a small sound of satisfaction as the fork impaled the egg, and began to cut open the egg with his knife. Talon then began to experiment on how he should go about picking it up and eating it, but paused when he heard a giggle of amusement.

His head shot up as he found the source of the sound, and he found himself staring at the General's youngest daughter. His brain automatically began to sift through the information he had managed to gather about her either through first impressions, information from the streets, or the carelessness of the guards and servants.

She was 20, going on 21, and the more beautiful of the two sisters. Katarina was her elder by about two and a half years, and they had a sibling rivalry or feud between them. About what he didn't really know but he assumed that they were vying for their father's attention. She had received her... _unfortunate _appearance when she was 19, when she betrayed a Frejlord ambassador's trust or something along those lines. He had heard of a half snake half woman seductress while he was on the streets several years ago, now that he thought about it, but he had never believed the rumors in the first place, he was naturally an unbelieving person, but he supposed now that anything could happen.

Cassiopeia smirked, and brought her milky white hand up to her mouth to disguise a decidedly unladylike snort. Talon felt a bit disconcerted by her steady gazed, he had seem something like this in a street performance when he was still an urchin. A thug had a young Basilisk hatchling and was demonstrating its famous ability to paralyze its prey with its stare. The snake had struck quickly, in the blink of an eye it had impaled its prey with its claws and was injecting its poison- wait, claws?

Talon blinked and cleared his head, he glanced back at his food, suddenly feeling slightly dizzy. He chanced a glance back at Cassiopeia who was leaning forwards, her arms clasped underneath her…

_Oh crap._

Talon quickly diverted his gaze from her generous cleavage to the General, who was still occupied in his argument with Katarina.

"Having trouble eating an egg, are we?"

Talon managed to keep his deadpan appearance and answered in an equally deadpan tone," I suppose so, Lady Cassiopeia. Unfortunately, I did not have the privilege of learning to eat in this manner," Talon gestured at the utensils.

"I could teach you, if you'd like," Cassiopeia cocked her head as she made the offer, and leaned even further forward.

Talon quickly averted his gaze to a suit of armor behind her chair, silently hoping that the General would soon resolve his argument with his daughter," That will not be necessary," he spoke in a monotone voice, trying his best to sound bored and uninterested," your Father will suffice."

Cassiopeia's smirk grew even wider, and Talon cursed. Clearly she knew _exactly _what kind of effect she elicited from him. What the hell was wrong with him? No other woman had managed to make him feel so… uncomfortable.

"But my Father doessssn't exactly have a… woman'sss touch. Asss talented and great asss he isss, he lacksss a woman'sss touch."

"And why would that matter," Talon asked mildly, his right eyebrow arching.

"Because a woman _alwaysss _knowsss what'ssss good for a _man_."

Talon nodded calmly," I think I can take care of it myself," turning to the General he spoke," I suppose we should be starting today?"

The General, caught off guard by Talon's sudden intrusion of his argument with Katarina paused before answering," Ah, no. I have to go to the High Command again to discuss some military matters with the High Command. However, I'm _sure _that Katarina will be _more _than happy to teach you about the finer points of status of nobility."

Katarina, still red from her heated argument with her father, turned an even darker shade of red before Cassiopeia's deceptively silky voice cut in," If Katarina isss not up to the tasssk Father, I would be quite happy to assissst Talon in hissss endeavor to become more… educated." She said this while maintaining an innocent facial expression, hiding her real intentions.

Talon inwardly winced as Katarina turned her furious gaze onto her sister. The General quickly intervened," Cassiopeia, do not aggravate your sister. She is on edge enough of the time as it is."

Cassiopeia sulked," Yes Father."

"Katarina, you will tutor Talon and he will train with you. You both gain something from each other, and all I ask is that you tolerate him. Is that too much to ask?"

Katarina bit her lip, fire still clearly evident in her eyes, and shook her head.

The General gazed at his daughter, his eyes narrowing," Very well then. I will be off. I _do not_ want to come back to a turbulent household. Katarina, I expect Talon to be in good health when I return, I don't want to come back to a mortally wounded Talon. You have your reputation on the line, if you kill him, the High Command just might not accept you as an assassin."

Katarina swallowed her anger and nodded, her hands trembling with her barely contained rage. The General watched her for a few more seconds, nodded, then stood up.

"Right then, I will be back late at night, so don't expect me anytime soon." He leaned over and kissed both of his daughters' cheeks, clapped Talon's back, and left the room.

* * *

General Marcus Du Couteau grunted his greeting to the door guards who had promptly saluted and uncrossed their spears when he arrived.

"The High General has been expecting you, General."

"Has the meeting begun?"

"No, all of the High Command has been assembled with the exception of the Grand General of course, but they were waiting for your arrival."

The General nodded, took off his gloves, handed them to a nearby attendant , and then made his way into the High Command's meeting room. It was small and sparsely decorated, one would think that the Elite of Noxus' military would have a more extravagant taste, but, they were all men of simple tastes.

_Well, most of this can be attributed to paranoia. _

The meeting room had no windows, to prevent assassins from, well, assassinating one of them. The doors were heavy, made of wooden planks that were concealing a heavy metal plate in between them. There was no table, a reminder of a failed assassination attempt when a Demacian spy disguised as an attendant hid a briefcase filled with hexplosives underneath the table. It damn near wiped out the entire head of Noxus' military. The High Command had survived the attempt through pure luck. They had adjourned the meeting earlier than expected and had left before the briefcase had detonated. The only casualty was the spy who had realized too late that the High Command was leaving early, and fearing that he might be discovered, tried to retrieve the briefcase before it went off. He had left the world with a bang.

The General chuckled grimly as he made his way to his seat by the High General. Nodding to Swain, he glanced at the empty seat at the head of where the table should've been.

_Dammit Boram… If only… _

Swain stood up and cleared his throat, his beloved bird perched on his shoulder, staring at Keiran Darkwill, the Grand General's son, across from him.

"Seeing as the Grand General has failed to make an appearance, the duty of informing you of why we have been gathered here falls to me."

"Pray tell Swain," Keiran sneered, his black hair thrown to the side like some teenage heartthrob.

Swain paid no attention to the uppity spawn of the Grand General, but his bird stared at the man-child with what looked like contempt.

"We have found evidence of the Black Rose organization operating in a small town on the edge of the Demacian border. We received the report at three in the morning. The runner stated that our informant in the town had spotted the leaders of the Black Rose in a tavern about a mile from the Demacian border."

"What were they doing so close to the border?"

"That's not important," sneered Kerian," the question should be who, specifically, was there."

Swain stared at him, his unmoving facial features hiding his look of contempt and disgust of the obvious stupidity of the man-child, but he answered anyways," It seems that Kurine, Garth, and Salazar were attending the meeting, among others."

"Kurine, Garth and Salazar? They are hardly worth the trouble we would have to go through to find them, much less to capture them," snorted Keiran. "They are nothing without the Dark Lady, she is the real prize." His rather perverted smile let the assembled generals know exactly what he meant by "prize."

Swain answered calmly, his eyelids threatening to close, as if he was about to fall asleep on his feet," Well I am sure that it would interest you to know that our informant spotted LeBlanc at the tavern."

A collective breath of air was inhaled by the assembled group, a general who had been drinking water at that time had choked on his water and was coughing it up. Keiran looked thunderstruck, his thick head still processing the information Swain had just dropped on him.

"The Dark Lady is there?" he asked dumbly.

"Yes."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Keiran demanded leaping to his feet and drawing his sword," We should be marching on that town and show the Black Rose what happens to those who plot against the High Command," he was waving his sword in the air now, trying to stir up support from the others.

Marcus shook his head at the boy's infuriating idiocy," Keiran, we can't just march there with an army, it's practically a stones throw away from the border. If we were to do that, Demacia would declare war and we would start another Rune War."

"So, if the Demacians won't listen to reason, then we revert to what we do best, _violence_." A crazed smile broke out over the young features of the Grand General's son, his mind racing, thinking of all the glory he could win if he captured the Dark Lady _and _defeating Demacia.

"You are foolish," snarled one of the Generals," if we declare war now, we would lose! We have lost much of our strength in the last Rune War!"

"So? We will show them Noxian might! We will beat them into the ground, like we did Ionia!"

The generals gritted their teeth at the dunderhead before them and wondered about how they ever let him join the High Command.

Only Swain remained calm, his poker face concealing every emotion he _might_ be experiencing," We didn't exactly steam roll Ionia, if I may remind you Keiran."

The generals looked down, partly in anger, partly in shame. The Invasion of Ionia was an ill-advised plot to take out a major ally of Demacia in one fell swoop that was set in motion a little over a year ago. Well, it wasn't so much badly planned as it was badly executed, how Keiran had talked the High Command into letting him lead the attack was beyond Marcus.

The man-child completely destroyed the Noxian offensive. At first they had made good progress, stomping the feeble resistance the Ionian defenders had managed to offer, until Keiran had demanded that he face off against the Ionian defenders' champions, namely: Master Yi, Irelia, Karma, and Varus. The hardheaded fool had wanted to slay the mightiest Ionia had to offer, and had failed, on all counts. He had singlehandedly halted the Noxian Army's offensive rampage, and had the Ionians previous breathing room. The Ionians used their vital time the duels gave them to gather and create a coordinated resistance effort. If the dunderhead had managed to defeat at least two of his opponents the war might have been won, but when Keiran lost all of his duels, the Ionian defense and resolve stiffened, and the war was lost. The idiot had managed to turn the tide of the battle.

The result of the catastrophe was that Noxus had lost a quarter of its standing army in the war, which had already been heavily depleted by the Rune War preceding it. It was a miracle that Demacia didn't attack then and there, perhaps because of the League?

The General snorted to himself, the League was a fool's gambit for peace. It held no real power, they only employed the powerful mages who called themselves summoners. Even if they had an entire _army _of those mages, there was only so much quality could do against quantity before quantity triumphed. It came down to, if you had one powerful warrior against a limitless horde, who would win? The only real power the mages wielded was the fear the average citizen had of them and the lucrative offers of fame and glory it offered to those "champions" who decided to join it.

_The Demacians are fools to believe that the League will actually bring peace. There will be no peace until the Black Rose and their scheming Dark Lady are eradicated from this world. _

Keiran turned a dark red, and then snarled," Fine, if you cowards are afraid of a _woman _then _I _will go and take the glory for _myself_."

He strode to the heavy metal doors, attempted to open the doors, and… failed miserably. He tugged at the metal bars in vain, looking like a toddler tugging at his father's pants leg to get his attention. Keiran cursed under his breath and called out to the guards on the other side to open it for him.

When he had left, the Generals, excluding Swain and Marcus, let out a spontaneous snort of derision, their hatred of him now openly showing.

"Are we just going to let him walk out like that and start another war?" asked the General, looking at Swain.

"The boy must learn his place, he will fail in capturing LeBlanc."

"How can you be so sure? He might be mentally incapable of utilizing and understanding politics, be he isn't a total loss in military matters."

"She has eluded capture for the past twenty years, for her to be captured by that pitiful buffoon would only come to pass if she would gain something of _great _importance while being captured. I cannot see what she would gain from being captured by us, so it is safe to say that the Dark Lady will evade capture once again."

"That foolhardy bastard is going to cause another Rune War, and this time Noxus won't be around after it." lamented a general, not as sure as the rest of his comrades that Keiran would fail in his goal of capturing LeBlanc.

"I'm not so sure about that. Jarvan the Third is much more levelheaded than his idiot son. He will demand an explanation, and I will send him a confidential letter, or better yet, tell him in person. But perhaps the Grand General would be more suited to that task." He turned his attention to the bird, as if silently communicating with the abomination," Ah yes Beatrice, you have reminded me of our dear Grand General's unfortunate condition." He stopped scratching the bird's neck and turned his attention back to the generals," Which reminds me, have we found the one responsible for the Grand General's attempted murder?"

The generals shook their head ruefully. Grand General Boram Darkwill had been poisoned by an unknown person a month ago. He had been in bed since then, fighting against the poison night and day. The poison had entered his bod through his arm, and as a result he had lost an arm in an effort to keep the poison from spreading throughout the rest of his body. Alas, it had been too late, and the contagion had infected his whole body, almost killing him. But the Grand General had fought back, and with the help of some obscure magic, had barely managed to stay alive, teetering at the brink of death. His condition had improved slightly since then, he could now be left unsupervised for short periods of time, but the chance of his demise was still great.

"Well, they will be caught eventually. Perhaps the Black Rose had something to do with it? Yes… it would be quite like her to poison the Grand General." At that thought he spun on his heel to look at Marcus," You have implemented the security measures I asked you to, correct?"

"Yes High General. I had doubled my escort on the way here."

"Good, good. We wouldn't want the Grand General's protégé to fall prey to the wiles of the Dark Lady, would we?" Swain let out a mirthless laugh, his eyes still cold and calculating. "Marcus, I have this… instinct that the meeting was about you. Be on your guard for the next couple of weeks, do not leave your home. If you receive summons, disregard them unless I come by and verify them for you. I trust that you will be more than capable of handling this?"

Marcus nodded," Of course, High General."

"High General?"

"Yes?"

"You aren't… conflicted in your feelings? About LeBlanc?"

"My dear Marcus, Noxians don't have feelings."

* * *

"This is it?"

The Demacian runner nodded, he was young, maybe 19 years of age. Probably a farm boy who lost his father in the Rune War not too long ago. Joined the military once he turned 18 because he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps…

_So young. _

"Who is your commanding officer?"

"My commanding officer? Of the bastion?"

"Yes, you said you were from Northgate didn't you? So you are from Honor's Keep, and your commanding officer would be…"

The young man, still quite flustered to be in the presence of royalty caught on and stammered," Ah,yes, my commanding officer… It is Colonel Von Luger, my King."

"Von Luger? Good man. When did he write this?"

"I am not sure of that my King, but he gave me orders to go to the capital, taking _his _horse."

King Jarvan the third raised his graying eyebrows at that," Really? Hmmm. Go find the kitchen, you must be hungry after such a long ride."

The runner knelt and thanked him, but the King barely paid any attention as he opened the official looking letter Von Luger had sent him.

_What is it that you need me to see so desperately? _

The King read through the letter quickly, with each sentence his alarm grew, and his eyebrows nearly disappearing behind his golden crown. With a cry of dismay he flung the letter from his grasp, to the alarm of his Royal Guard.

The Captain spoke up tentatively to the beloved King as he began to rub his forehead with a gauntleted hand," My King, what is it?"

The King waved him away impatiently as he called out to one of the servants that was rushing by," Boy! Call the Command to the War Room immediately!"

**Well, this was plot heavy chapter, wink wink Lord of t3h ring. I do hope that it wasn't drawn out or boring, the worst thing I can do is make it so that it's so long and drawn out that you can't read or understand any of it. It was kind of boring in the beginning I realize, but I wanted to include the subject of Talon receiving and education because that is a subject that most people don't touch up upon (Talon speaks remarkably well for being a street rat though), hopefully it didn't bore you to death. I also mentioned his awkwardness at the dining table for the same reason, plus it gave me a chance to introduce the one-sided TalonXCass element into the story. I didn't include a fight in this chapter because even Noxian assassins need to rest. So, what do you think? You like? You dislike? You no like? Did I include/reveal the Black Rose too soon? I really want your guys' opinions on this, it means a lot to me, not to mention it helps me decide where I can improve. Anyways, I want to thank you all gain for choosing to read my fic (2.3K VIEWS, AJFDASDOFIJASDOFIAJFIOJ) and please, please, pleaaaaaaaaaaaaase, for the love of God, REVIEW PEOPLE! It helps me refine my writing, like, for example, was the "chained to the cot" thing too much? I don't know, you guys need to tell me so I can prevent myself from including potentially stupid things in the future. Plox :)**

**Oh, by the way, Talon, I had Katarina refrain from referring to you as "street rat" if you noticed.**

**Kudos to anyone who spots the references to WarCraft, Harry Potter, Justin Bieber (he disgusts me, that's why I chose that specific character) and Ender's Game. I will love you forever! No? You don't want it? Okay, *cries in corner* **


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok, first off, I am on the League of Legends FanFiction forums now, DevaintArt, and I've been on Archive of Our Own for a while now. I was reading through my fic other night, and was practically banging my head into my desk as I found SOOO many mistakes. I knew there were some mistakes, but I just didn't realize the magnitude of my incompetence. So I have been revising the chapters and posting them, the ones you see on DeviantArt and on the Forums have been edited. I will look through my fic again after I'm done with it, and edit it again, and then post the final version of my fic on all of the sites I have posted it on. If you guys could include any mistakes you find in your reviews, it would be greatly appreciated as it would make my job of editing my stupidity much much MUCH easier. To those of you who have, I thank you and ask that you will keep doing what you are doing. Now, I would like to thank mamba9523, Rule034, Minutemsn, ztek, llamagod22, Rhelna6793, Princess Garen, GamerForever- The Life, Meep Triforce, Vic11, Tylerst, and Pr0minence for you favorites, reviews, and follows. I'm now up to 39 reviews! I know it isn't a lot compared to other fics, but I'm still happy nonetheless. All I can say is that whenever I scroll down the page and see that my fic is leading in all categories (pertaining to reviews, favorites, and follows, I'm also up to 3.2k views!) I'm just really happy that you guys enjoyed my fic enough to review, favorite and follow. Hopefully my fic will continue to make you happy, and that I don't choke at the end, but this is has been really fun so far and I hope that it will continue to be until I finish this fic. :D**

**Talking Back**

**Note: Underlined parts contain possible spoilers for future content, read at your own risk, they may or may not appear in future chapters (I've edited out most of the spoilers) **

**Talon Du Couteau: Why thank you, I appreciate the compliment :) Hmm… you can find them, they all have something to do with people… It's ok, you being on the street and all. I aim to please. Hmmm, I do need to be a bit more creative with my insults… Well, you can't really do anything to her.**

**Rhelna6793: Well, I must say this is surprising… I assume that this can only mean that you play LoL? Anyways, thank you for the review, and my grammar is pretty bad, at least I feel that way. I'm going to review all of it later on. I'm really glad you enjoyed it :D**

**Meep Triforce: Well, it was longer than all my other chapters so I suppose you must've read too fast, but I do write pretty short chapters, at least in general. Well, most people fail to explore the other people that are involved in Talon's life, and so it keeps it… somewhat one dimensional. If I add more viewpoints, it creates a more in depth fic. Yeah, there will be more though.**

**Lord of t3h ring: Ah, thank you :D That's the point though, isn't it?**

**TalonIbnLaAhad: I'm still deciding how to go about Marcus' abduction and disappearance, I know that he Black Rose has to be involved for sure, but, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to go about it. Yeah, Swain shouldn't really be bad/good, at least when he's involved in Noxian internal affairs. I figured that he'd be neutral and quietly favor a certain party, but never making it publicly known. It just suits his personality****. Hmm, I'm still deliberating about what I'll do with LeBlanc, aka the Dark Lady, but I'm sure I'll have a little LeBlancxSwain in there, perhaps towards the end?**** As for the reason for his disappearance, I have a pretty good idea of how I want to go about this, but I can't tell you ;) Yup, "Lady Charm." Considering his background, it shouldn't be too surprising. The fic Assassin's Crush is one of the best here, but I was disappointed that the author didn't really delve into Talon's everyday life. It would've made him so much more… real I suppose. But, the author did what he/she did and they did it well. Hmmm, maybe I should include some fork stabbing… would be interesting… Yeah, I'm going to include that Cass vs Kat over Talon in the future, Cass will be jelly much? Fighting isn't everything, and I couldn't just have a fight erupt EVERY chapter, it would get boring after a while I would imagine. Riot doesn't elaborate about the lore, which disappoints me, but at the same time, it gives us so much more leeway and everything is plausible. You won't have people breathing down your neck because this didn't happen then or he didn't do this or that etc****. I think it was Vayne that is hunting the Black Rose? I will probably include that also, perhaps a Talon, Cassiopeia, Katarina, Vayne alliance. The Du Couteau sisters and Talon need her to find the Black Rose and in effect the General, while Vayne just needs their help to hunt the Black Rose, the greater of the two evils. I mean, you needn't worry about the enemy you can see, you want to worry about the enemy you can't see.**

**LadySpindle: Yeah, I didn't actually think their names through. I just wanted darkish sounding names, maybe middle-easternish. They all sound very Noxian like, don't you think? Heh, I did figure that most people would have the same initial reaction, and then when they found out about who chained him to the bed, or at least indirectly caused it… I don't know, I guess it was meant for a little lighthearted laughter, I just included it just because XD As I said before, I wanted to include that element, adds more fuel to the Cass vs Kat fire later on in the fic :3 Again," Lady Charm" I was going to use it to make her more civil I suppose, and to control her anger more. So instead of just clashing with him outright, they'll have a war of words. Huh, I suppose LeBlanc may or may not have planted a clone in the General's household, for you know, reconnaissance. Well, they're the "knights in shining armor" type of nation, with Jarvan IV and Garen, not the cloak and dagger types that Noxus likes to use. I mean, Noxus has their fair share of bruisers, but their military operations are more… sinister. Yup, I figured that assassination attempts would be ongoing, as Noxus is hated by pretty much everyone in Valoran. I'll have him live, until when he… well… you know… dies. I'll include the necromancy aspect sooner or later, maybe when the General goes to pay the Grand General a visit. Should make for an interesting chapter. Hmmm, I can see that happening… I kind of figured that the League would have no ACTUAL power, except for fear and respect. I suppose fear and respect are elements of power, but what I'm trying to get at here is that the League has no real authority over the matters of Valoran. If they really wanted to keep the peace, they would have to be able to either 1) influence the political powers of the nations, or 2) have a giant standing army that can take on the whole military might of Valoran at once. Huh," My dear Marcus, Noxians don't have feelings." Heart breaks, mentally bawls his eyes out.** **I just decided to portray Jarvan IV as a brash youngster, as he is a prince, but I think that he'd only be so... violent in matters involving Swain, and in effect, Noxus. After all, Demacia and Noxus are mortal enemies. ****Anyways, I'll probably have Demacia make a show of force, but Swain/Jarvan III will swoop in and be the voice of reason. So basically, Jarvan IV and Keiran will want to go at it, but the leaders of each respective nation will halt their brash and incompetent man-children from fighting until a reason to fight has been given.**** Daaw, thanks :D Yeah, I figured that Talon would be smarter than your average child, because you can't just be recruited to be an assassin if you're normal, and for the reason you stated, it would be really, really, annoying to have him speaking pidgin English. I think he just might have picked up on the language as he grew older, as he has made multiple excursions into the military/political districts of Noxus. I think I should have kept the identity of the people in the beginning a secret, but I was like," Meh, I'll be hinting at it so heavily that there's no point." Thanks for the tip, I'll look into it :) Well, I would think that Swain would be having second thoughts on killing her, as the League will be making power plays in the political world soon, because as I said before, they're a farce. So to have more allies in the League would be beneficial. Me neither, he'd be horrid company.**

**References: Harry Potter: Salazar the founder of Slytherin, Basilisk the giant snake in the Chamber of Secrets **

**Ender's Game: Chapter Four when Talon gorges himself then decides not to stuff himself full of food ever again is a reference to Bean, a genetically enhanced superhuman **

**World War II: Demacian bomb plot, July 1944 bomb plot to kill Hitler, Erwin reference to Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, General in the German Army during WWII**

**WarCraft: The Dark Lady, the nickname given to Sylvanas Windrunner, an undead elf archer, Chapter 3 the assassin before the assassin Talon faces in this one is from the Forsaken Guild, Forsaken a faction of undead beings lead by Sylvanas Windrunner, Honor's Keep is Honor Hold from World of WarCraft**

**The Great Escape: Colonel von Luger is a character in the movie, a Luftwaffe (Nazi Air Force) officer, the commandant of a POW camp **

**Justin Bieber: Keiran Darkwill, the hair**

**There may be more, I can't remember off the top of my head. But, congrats to LadySpindle and Princess Garen for spotting the references! LadySpindle- Basilisk, Salazar Princess, Justin Bieber Princess Garen- Chapter 4 reference to Ender's Game(You're awesome for getting that)**

"Well this could be… problematic."

"I think we already understand that point Arthur, but _what_ exactly are they doing there? A whole _battalion_of some of Noxus' most elite troops gathered at our doorstep. That's a thousand of the Dread Guard on the border. They can rip through our border troops with ease, it would be a massacre. What happens then? The whole Noxian army will swarm through the gap in our defenses, we will be overwhelmed!"

"You're just too anti-Noxian Kregs, and although I can't blame you for your sentiments, our spies have yet to inform us of any developments in the Noxian High Command that even suggests that they are planning another invasion."

"But what if they are? You know how the Noxians are, with their cloak and dagger bullshit, they can blindside any time. They are second to none in the art of espionage and subterfuge. How do you expect _our_spies, _our_scouts to find _anything_the Noxians want to hide?"

"Our new Ranger? Quinn? She is in Noxus as we speak, she is as competent, and perhaps even more so than the best of Noxus' spy masters. She has remained undetected in Noxus for _three months_, an unprecedented feat."

"Your bird loving _girl_ is _hardly_reliable, she has only begun her career as a scout for the army and you _completely_trust her! It is unbelievable!"

"It doesn't matter for how long she has been in the army. All that matters is the information she is giving us."

"Through that pesky bird of hers, how do we know that that bird hasn't been compromised? That the Noxians know that she's hiding amongst them? That they are feeding her false information? My King, I beg of you, let Garen and his Dauntless Vanguard reinforce the border garrisons to avert the Noxian threat! Or, if not them then at least send reinforcements! We cannot risk a Noxian invasion, we already have many of our champions in the League, far away from here, and we have been weakened by the Rune War!"

The elderly king sat upon his throne, his hands folded in front of his wrinkled face as he examined the map placed before him. It was yellowed with age, and it had stone pieces representing the Noxian forces just outside Demacia's border and the border garrisons that he had stationed on the edge of Demacian territory. He had controlled his initial excitement, calming down considerably. King Jarvan Lightshield the III looked at his assembled generals with a contemplative expression.

"Your argument is valid Kregs, but you have forgotten that the Noxians are even weaker than we are. They will not risk a full blown offensive now, they will rest and lick their wounds from their Ionian offensive before attacking anyone again," the King leaned back into his plush chair, now with one arm on the armrest and one hand on his mouth.

Kregs drew his aging face into a look of sour discontent, but kept quiet in front of his King.

"However, I will send Garen with a detachment of the Dauntless Vanguard to reinforce Honor's Keep. If the Noxians cross the border, then military action will be authorized. Until then, they will stay at the Keep and do _nothing_. Linthuel, send a runner over to Honor's Keep to inform them of our plans, Kregs, inform Garen of these developments. Arthur, I want your Ranger to stay in Noxus, tell her to check in every hour using the pendent. I will send a delegation to Noxus in order to find out more about this approaching Noxian threat."

* * *

General Marcus Du Couteau and High General Jericho Swain of the Noxian High Command sat in the anteroom of Grand General Boram Darkwill's personal chambers. They had been sitting in the plush chairs of the anteroom for quite some time now, having arrived about an hour ago. Unluckily for them, they had arrived just as the doctor and his nurses had started administering countless potions and medicines to prepare him for a rather lengthy meeting with the two Generals. General Du Couteau glanced at Captain Zane, who was currently sitting in front of the blazing fire, staring at the flickering flames, lost in thought.

The General smiled as he remembered Captain Zane's indignation when the Generals had been forced to go through multiple identity checks, which included their faces and hair being pulled on, their hair being doused in water, foul tasting potions being shoved down their throats, and a variety of questions that were about personal and confidential information. Altogether, it was an unpleasant experience, but it was necessary as the normally paranoid captain of the Raedsel was now even more cautious, confiscating everyone's weapons and forcing Swain to leave behind his beloved bird.

Marcus looked up when the doctor, a short fellow with blonde hair, blue eyes, and spectacles came out.

"The General is ready to see you know, gentlemen. Please try and keep the visit short, he is very fragile in his current state."

Both Generals stood up entered the room, as did Captain Zane, but he was stopped by the Captain of the Raedsel who roughly hauled him back and sat him in the chair he had just left. The Captain then entered the room and motioned for all the medical personnel to leave the room, and made to stay in the room himself, but the Grand General requested his absence from the meeting.

The Grand General himself was a tanned man of about 6' 5", a good three inches taller than the General himself, dark brown hair, a proud nose, a strong jaw, and had bright blue eyes that were positively gleaming with intelligence. He looked to be about in his forties, but in reality was at least five times that age, as he had used necromancy to revitalize his body, keeping him in good shape.

The man on the bed looked nothing like the picture of the Grand General Marcus had ingrained in his memory. The man looked sickly and frail. He was deathly pale, literally the color of parchment, his hair was gray, his labored breath of raspy and short, his cheeks gaunt and his eyes dull with bags surrounding his eye sockets.

The General looked on in silent horror, as this was his first time he had seen the Grand General in a year. Swain however, having seen his commander numerous times already merely looked grim and determined.

"Well?" the living corpse rasped his dead eyes trained on the pair," what are you waiting for? You aren't ass kissing lackeys, sit down in a damn chair." He began to cough and wheeze violently, turning away from his uneasy visitors as he threw up the contents of his stomach into a nearby bucket.

The Grand General was under at least a dozen winter blankets in addition to having to suffer from blazing heat that was emanating from the constantly lit fire in the fire place, for fear of him catching pneumonia in the dank conditions the castle he resided in offered.

The pair made their way to the General's side and sat down in a pair of wooden chairs, sitting straight in their respective seats as they waited for their commander to recover from his bout of coughing. Boram wiped his mouth with a nearby handkerchief, and rinsed his mouth with water.

"So, what is it this time?" he asked as he turned around to face them.

Swain spoke, "We have several matters of varying importance that the Council thought required your attention."

The Grand General furrowed his brow and motioned for the High General to continue," The first matter is Kalamanda."

The Grand General closed his eyes, trying to recall the importance of the quiet region.

"That village that has recently discovered its vast amount of ores and precious metal within its borders? That _is _the Kalamanda you are referring to?"

"Yes, Grand General."

"What about it then? I thought you were in control of the situation."

"Not exactly, the Demacians are trying to muscle their thick heads into the area, and are gaining ground." Swain's face briefly showed his displeasure, his normally unmovable features forming a scowl," The village's officials and the League's representatives are currently favoring Demacia. We have increased our military presence in the area to match the influx of Demacian troops, but the High Command could not decide on a single course of action. Thus, you are to make the final decision on Kalamanda."

Grand General Darkwill lay in the bed in quiet contemplation," Continue what you are doing currently. Send the 17th Legionnaires and a contingent of the Death Knights to ensure that our military presence there is supreme and undisputed, that should put more pressure on the Kalamandians. Have our delegates put more pressure on the League representatives. Do not take any course of military action unless the Demacians act first, that way we are portrayed as the innocent. Jarvan's son is their delegate there, is he not?"

Swain nodded his affirmation," Good, that hotheaded bastard will start the battle for us," the Grand General suppressed a cough," What else needs to be brought to my attention."

"It is the matter of the League. The High Command is equally divided on whether or not Noxus should stay in the League of Legends. Marcus, Auirelius, Starkinson, and Dyke are all for separating. Myself, Patton, Krys, and Balthazar are for staying in the League."

The Grand General's sour face showed his obvious distaste for the League," The League is not an enforcer of peace, it is a way for the rest of the city states to feel better about the illusion of peace that is currently clouding the judgment of every political leader in Valoran." He emphasized his disgust of the League by spitting in the bucket.

"But Grand General, if Noxus were to separate from the League, it would cause the rest of Valoran to band together and stand against us. We would be seen as a threat against global peace, and as such, they would be swift to take action against us."

"Zaun would stand by us, those barbaric tribesmen from the North and their Avarosan allies will do nothing, they wouldn't involve themselves in a 'petty southerner conflict,' especially with Sejuani waiting to pounce on their unsuspecting backs. The Rakkor will do nothing, they love war, but will not involve themselves in a war that they have no part in. The yordles hate us, but they won't do anything to attract our wrath."

"But that leaves Demacia and Ionia. Their tenacity will match our soldiers' ferocity and our advantage in tactical ingenuity. Not to mention they will be receiving the backing of the League and Piltover, who will no doubt be supplying them with techmaturgy."

Boram waved aside Swain's qualms with his hand," Zaun will back us, evening the numbers and they will provide us with chemical weapons, more than enough to make up for their advantage in techmaturgy."

Swain nodded, unhappy with his superior's decision," Very well then, Noxus will separate from the League."

"I notice that my son was not at the meeting?"

The General, shifted on his feet uneasily.

"Marcus? Would you like to explain?"

"Well Grand General, your son was there for the first twenty minutes or so of the meeting, but he left soon thereafter. The first order of business we discussed today was about the Black Rose. There was a sighting yesterday in a town close to the border with Demacia. Among the members sighted was the Dark Lady. Keiran upon hearing this information immediately demanded that we set out to capture her. The Council, including the High General and myself, tried to persuade Keiran to be reasonable and think the situation over, but he refused and left on his own accord."

The Grand General hissed in anger, the thin layer of skin on his head twisting to form an expression of anger.

"My foolish child… Did he take anyone with him?"

"He took a battalion of Dread Guard."

"And no one stopped him?" the Grand General practically roared, rising out of his bed," How could you all be so FOOLISH? Are your heads up your asses or something? I SPECIFICALLY requested that he be kept on a VERY short leash! How the FUCK did he manage to get out of the capital before you could take action?"

Swain cleared his throat," I let him go."

The Grand General's eyes began to bulge out of his head, and numerous blood vessels began to pop out due to his gaunt appearance," YOU WHAT? YOU ARE HIGH GENERAL AND YOU ARE AN ACTING GRAND GENERAL! WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET THAT STUPID INCOMPETENT CHILD GO?"

Swain sat in his seat, calm and not at all threatened," The Dark Lady will evade capture, leading Keiran on a wild goose chase. As such, he will be humiliated, and then we will have a good excuse to demote him from the High Command. As for the Demacians, King Jarvan the III will probably send a delegation to ask why Keiran is approaching his borders with a thousand Dread Guards, and we can give him excuse to save face, or, if it suits you, just tell him the truth."

The Grand General lay in his bed, slightly dumbfounded as he pondered what Swain had just told him. "I suppose that will work," he said grudgingly," but know that if anything comes of this, it will be on _your _head."

"It is the mark of a good leader to accept his mistakes."

"That it is… Marcus? I see you have something to tell me?"

"Yes, it is a personal matter."

"Do you fear for your life?" the Grand General asked curiously.

"No, I just have had recent… developments."

"Ah, the boy. Swain told me all about him. Were you feeling sentimental? How quaint," he said amusedly as evidenced by his weak smile," Why are you concerned about this? I trust your judgment, and it isn't my place to tell you how to run your personal life unless it directly affects how you perform."

"Yes, I know, but I plan to use him as an assassin."

"As your own personal assassin? Huh, did not expect that from you. Are you going to use him as a counter assassin?"

"Yes, it will be one of his many functions."

"I am still puzzled as to why you are talking to me about this."

"I plan to pair him with Katarina in the field, among other things."

"That isn't a problem, I trust your judgment. If you think he's trustworthy, then I shall place my trust in him as well. That and his track record speak volumes about him."

"I also plan to make him my son."

The Grand General sucked in a quick breath and began a sudden coughing fit. Swain turned and looked dumbstruck for a second," You WHAT?"

"I plan for him to be my heir."

The Grand General reached for the cup of water near his bedside and downed the whole cup," I still can't believe that I heard that correctly. You plan to make him your _heir_? Tyral took a chance with both Darius and Draven, and they turned out fine, but worked with them as if they were his soldiers, not sons."

Swain spoke," You said you wanted to make him feel like he had a family, I had no idea that you meant that _literally_."

"I trust your judgment Marcus, but on this matter I must ask you, are you mad? The political shit storm this will stir up not to mention the soiling of your bloodline will cause enough headaches for us! How will Noxus' global image look? The common people, what will their reaction be?"

"No one needs to know, I just need to inform the right people. I can make up a back story for him, anyone will believe anything you say as long as you say it long enough and with enough conviction. If you yourself believe in a lie, and constantly enforce and repeat that lie, then it's only a matter of time until everyone else does."

"This is… unprecedented. I would ask you why you are doing this, but it seems that we are out of time," he looked at the doctor and the Captain of his guard who were entering the chambers. He looked back at Marcus," We will discuss this later. In the meantime, inform the Council of my decisions and do _not _do anything foolish." He looked pointedly at Marcus. "Have a good day, gentlemen."

The pair bowed and left the room. As they made their way through the anteroom and were alone Swain spoke," You know how Katarina will react to this, do you not?"

"Yes, I do," the General sighed," but I have my decision on this matter, and have decided that it is the best course of action."

"It's your funeral."

* * *

The doctor, a twenty something year old man quietly tended to his patient, frowning he spoke to one of the nurses," Is there anymore of the antidote we had acquired?"

"I am not sure doctor, shall I go check?"

"No, it is quite alright. I will go check for myself. Make sure he doesn't move much, he is still weak and that meeting took a lot out of him."

Once he was sure he was out of the room, he jogged down the right of the corridor. The medicine cabinet was on the left of the Grand General's chambers.

* * *

"I still don't see why I must learn this art of _dancing_," Talon hissed through gritted teeth.

Katarina snarled in reply," It's not like I _want _to teach you this you fat pig."

"Well it's not like I was the one who decided that this was necessary," he snapped back. "You're the one who decided that I should learn how to dance for formal events."

Katarina just glowered in response. They had started off Talon's education of the elite of Noxus by having him read and write. Deciding his reading and writing were satisfactory (she hid her surprise quite well) they had turned to dancing. Talon had been trying to learn how to waltz for the past two hours, all the while Katarina was cursing his stupidity. He had managed to shut her up by reminding her that he could read, speak, and write exceptionally well for a person who lived on the street their whole life.

This was the first piece of conversation that had been initiated for over an hour, their only oral communication being occasional grunts, hisses, and groans.

"No, no, no, no," she snarled as he tripped over his own feet," you know, for an assassin you are _extremely _clumsy on your feet. I would have figured that you being a master assassin would help you with the footwork of dancing."

"Well I wasn't prepared to be staring at your ugly face for two hours."

Katarina restrained her need to knee him in the crotch, and instead took satisfaction as Talon bumbled around cursing under his breath. He would constantly trip or slip, but he would always get up and look her in the eye. She would sneer up at him, seeing that Talon was a good four inches taller than her (Talon being 6'2-4"). His face was obscured by his cowl and the shadow it cast. She was disappointed that he chose to keep it on; she would've liked to see the anger and humiliation in his eyes.

Or maybe not. He was a mystery, and that created a fear of him inside her. He was so withdrawn, so emotionless, so unnaturally uncaring that it almost seemed like he was an automaton, like that Blitzcrank contraption that was created a while ago.

Katarina had the opportunity to see the steam golem because of her royal status, and she took it. What she saw was unnerving to say the least. The Great Steam Golem was human like in that he had thoughts and was sentient, but the fact that he could act and think independently was offset by his machinelike indifference. Talon reminded her too much of him. She could constantly feel steel being pressed against her throat, making her extremely wary around Talon. Katarina would mask her fear of the Blade's Shadow by voicing her anger and hatred for the street rat, but the ever growing fear she had for him was-

She yelped as she tripped over Talon's boots. She cursed herself for being so careless, so lost in her thoughts. She looked up expecting to see Talon laughing at her, but then she saw an extended glove and a cold face.

_Even when I am humiliated you show no emotion. You really don't care, do you? _

Katarina shuddered inwardly and gingerly place her hands back on Talon as they once again began their attempted waltz around the ballroom, with one notable difference, Katarina kept her eyes awayfrom Talon's own.

Talon sat down, his feet were aching and his calves were burning. Not that he would tell anyone that of course, especially after his brief but nightmarish visit to the infirmary. So, Talon just sat in the chair suffering silently, making no effort to remove the leather boots that were constricting his feet and calves.

He cracked his neck as he went over his dance lesson with Katarina. It had ended in semi-success. He had managed to get down the steps, but would keep tripping over Katarina when they danced together. Talon mulled over the moment when Katarina had tripped over his boots. Her eyes had been glazed over; she was just staring into empty space, her body moving on its own accord. His eyes narrowed as he recalled the moment she looked back up at him.

There was fear in her eyes. Why _did _she fear him? It wasn't like he was going to kill her, at least not now. No, he decided shaking his head, he owed the General at least that much, and even though Katarina could be a bitch, she could potentially be a useful ally in the future.

He scratched at his day old stubble, and decided to go shave, it was nearly nighttime. Speaking of which, he would have to go find some more blankets…

* * *

"The report just came in from our informant."

"Ah, so it has. Let me see it… Milady will be pleased, although Noxus separating from the League will not be in our best interests…"

"She'll find a way to keep them in the League."

"Indeed. Did our assassin report in yet?"

"He did in fact; he is nearing the border as we speak."

"Ah, we have informed him of the developments near the border I see?"

"Yes, the resulting confusion should be enough for him to slip through unnoticed."

"Good, good. Milady will be pleased."

**Sorry for the long update, I wasn't feeling well and I was revising past chapters and was uploading them onto DeviantArt and the LoL FanFiction forums D: I hope you liked it, and that the plot is still interesting. I hope that the Katarina/Talon was enough, at least for now. I plan to have a lot more of the story from their viewpoint as soon as I have the whole 'Marcus Du Couteau abduction' thing over with. Hopefully it was long enough as I think this is my shortest chapter yet. :/ I don't think I'm going to have to include the border conflict in the next chapter and that I haven't given out **_**too **_**many spoilers. It just seems like I talk so freely about my fic to you guys, and I'm afraid that spoils everything D: I'll elaborate more on the part where Talon wants to go find more blankets in the next chappie. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and please, pleaaaaaase review guys, it makes me very happy. When you guys pass up a chance to review a fic, a baby rabbit out in the wild loses its mother D: **


	8. Chapter 8

**HOLY CRAP, ANOTHER CHAPTER, AND SO SOON! OH MY GOD! WHAT A RARE OCCURENCE! I'm warning you people, don't expect such rare delicacies so often, they are hard to come by. Ok, I would like to thank PoisonLiquid, |Legends|, lugeba, SevenVenom, SirGrapezz, comicallySatanic, LadySpindle, WingsofRequiem (I resent you for leaving me for ten days TT TT), Sir ShamanSushi DragonPaprika (so long o.O), TalonIbnLaAhad, Meep Triforce, Talon Du Couteau, mamba9524, Stolenwarpig, pie6013, and the Guest for reviewing, favoriting, and following. Because of you guys, chapter 7 has the most reviews of any chapter up to date (10) and my fic is at 4.3K views currently! I really cannot believe how popular my story is, and I don't attribute this to my skills as a writer, I attribute this to your guys' support of my fic. I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed my fic, especially WingsofRequiem, TalonIbnLaAhad, and LadySpindle, for your meaningful reviews and PMs, I am really glad that you guys are so supportive and helpful. All I can say is that I am grateful for you support, and I sincerely hope that you guys succeed in your endeavors here on (especially you LadySpindle, I wanna read that LeBlancxSwain fic!). So, without further ado, here is the Talking Back part of my AN (did you think I was going to say that it was the fic?)**

**WingsofRequiem: It's ok, just as long as you review XD I can imagine that, as you released two chapters back to back (unless you already prepared them on your trip?). Wow... just wow... That's so... sadistic o.O Yeah, I'm trying. I can probably do much better, though I'm not entirely sure how to go about that, so I rely on reviews and such to see what I'm doing good/bad. I think that the hate stemming from the fear for Katarina could've been hinted at in Chapter 7, then put out in the open later, but it is what it is, and I can edit that later. Yeah, you should ;) Kidding. Hmm, I don't think it specifically says that Swain was the cause of Marcus' disappearance, but it kind of implies it. But it's up to you, if you want to have him be the cause, then go ahead. It seems like your fic is heading in that direction though.**

**LadySpindle:** **As I said, he is supposed to be like the General Du Couteau/ Swain of Demacia. I think she may be the only scout in the League. Yay! I was hoping for a really aged state. I was going to add "a week's worth of stubble growing on his chin," but I forgot that line :/ Sweary marys? What? Yeah I suppose, I'll have to edit out some of his cursing later D: He is the Grand General technically. I don't know, I just can't see Swain trying to sweet talk anyone, even LeBlanc. Well, it's bound to happen (Did you not like any other General Du Couteaus? I feel honored :D) That and he has no idea how to dance, as do I. I feel like I'm having Talon feel too much emotion in the beginning of the fic, I'll edit that part also. I mean, I'll have him show tiny bits of emotion, but from what I have now, I think I overdid it a bit. Yeah, same with hate. It's ok. Yes, I thought I made it blatantly obvious, but I guess it was just me. Thank you :D Well, I think that is the same with everyone else. Huh, what a coinkydink. That sucks :/ Yeah, I didn't have much in that chapter D: I spotted that also, but after I posted it -_- I don't know why, but italicized words seem to be spaced irregularly, so when I leave them alone they're usually right next to each other. I suppose it's because they're slanted.**

**TalonIbnLaAhad: Thank you :D I'm including all these little tidbits to advance the plot/give the reader a feeling of everyday life. It may drag out the plot a little, so that's the main problem with it, but everyone seems fine with it. Hmm, I wouldn't call it his weakest or strongest hour, but you can't really measure that, now can you? Huh, that's interesting... That's what I was thinking when I first read that you were planning it XD ****Yeah, I figured that would come into play at some point.**** I think I should've inserted it a little later, or at least tone it down and then throw it in later, but I'll edit everything later so... Huh, really? Maybe... Don't want to be stealing from other fics though :P Very good analysis good sir! Hmm, I don't think that's how his humanity is going to come out, but it's a thought. Season 3 lore. What o.O**

**pie6013: Is that a threat D:**

**mamba9524: Daaw, thank you :D**

**Lord of t3h ring: Ah, thank you :D That's the point though, isn't it? **

**Stolenwarpig: I spelled "Aurelius" the way I did intentionally btw :P And you're awesome for catching those references. Thank you for reviewing! **

**Meep Triforce: First off, thank you for being the one and **_**only **_**person to ask about my condition :D I feel happy now, you have my eternal gratitude. Anyways, thank you for reviewing, and I'm glad that you enjoyed the fic so far and that Chapter 7 was your favorite (honestly I would rate that among my worst chappies D:).**

**References: Auirelius- reference to Roman General Marcus (hey, another reference!) Aurelius and to Auir, the homeworld of the Protoss an alien race from the strategy game (my favorite) called StarCraft**

**Patton- General George S. Patton United States tank commander in World War 2 **

**Death Knights- Resurrected knights that were forced to serve Arthas, the Lich King in WarCraft 3/ World of WarCraft**

**Try to catch the references in this chapter, there aren't many, but they're there. **

**Finally, I would like to thank my beta, Lord of t3h ring. He is awesome for volunteering to be my beta, and I would like to thank him for it. Please thank him in your reviews :D **

"Milady, are you sure about this?"

"I am Erwin. That stupid child came here for me, and I'll... tease him a bit."

"But surely one of our lowlier members will suffice?"

"No, he came here for me, and his only objective will be me. He will be most aggravated by me, which will spur him on."

"Will you be able to evade capture until the border?"

"I will. Just make sure our assassin is ready when I do, I don't want to have to spend more time than I have to within the sight range of that foul dolt.'

"Yes milady."

* * *

Keiran Darkwill hissed in triumph as he spotted the bitch LeBlanc beginning to flee across the rooftops. Turning to the commoner Darius, Keiran put away his disgust of the common folk for a second," Darius, have your men split up into their platoons and surround the town. It should give us fifty search parties, more than enough to corner the Dark Lady."

The Dread Guard Colonel nodded and relayed Keiran's orders to the assembled mass of 1,300 or so Dread Guard knights. Their uniform was much like Darius' own uniform, a black cloak with a red underside, black metal plate armor, and a black helm that covered their entire face, leaving slits only for their eyes and mouths with metal horns protruding from the tops of their helmets. All in all, the Dread Guard was a terrifying force to behold, their spiked helmets signaling doom for all those standing against them. Many a time had the Dread Guard salvaged a lost cause just by showing up, their mere appearance striking terror into the hearts of their enemies.

Understandably, they were not excited to be going on a mission to capture some members of the Black Rose, a job that they thought required only a few of the town watch, but Keiran had promised a reward, so they had grudgingly followed Keiran.

They had been marching for about two hours, reaching the small town in good time as it usually took a traveler four to eight hours to reach the town from the capital. The fact that they were dressed in full battle armor only glorified Keiran's abilities as a commander. As far as he was concerned, the Dread Guard had only made it to the town only because he was moving at such a fast pace, disregarding the fact that he was on horseback and the soldiers were on foot. He also chose to forget the fact that they were exhausted.

He hissed in excitement and impatience as the Dread Guard soldiers began to split into their respective platoons," Darius, take half of the platoons and enter the west part of the town with ten of your platoons. Leave the remainder of your force outside to catch any runners that may get through your soldiers, I will do the same on the east side. I expect the whole town to be turned over. If you find her, set off a red flare and the rest of us will converge on your position."

Darius nodded curtly, turning around once again to pick out the platoons that would accompany him. Keiran could be insufferable at times, but on rare occasions such as this one, he revealed the reason why he was part of the Noxian High Command. He could come up with sound tactical plans within a short space of time and deploy his troops without much fuss or delay, which is why Darius the Purger hadn't taken his head. At least, not yet.

Noxus was full of corrupt military officials that had managed to gain or retain their positions within the Noxian Military. It was intolerable; the termites burrowed into the woodworks of the house and caused the house as a whole to weaken and eventually, collapse. So, Darius, at the young age of 26 began to execute military officials who he considered to be weak, corrupted and the like. All in all, by the time he was 30 (his current age) he had collected the heads of over 150 Noxians unlucky enough to be deemed," unfit for service."

There were some who feared him, calling him a power hungry maniac; those were usually the ones who fell into the category he was trying to exterminate. The others, the ones who approved of his brutal but effective method of strengthening Noxus, were the ones Noxus would benefit most from. They would be able to accomplish things that would glorify Noxus, making her the greatest nation ever to grace the face of Valoran.

Swain was one such man, a visionary, a powerful leader who could take over once Boram Darkwill died. It was an eventuality, even if the senile old man _was _using necromancy to stay alive all this time, sooner or later someone would get past his famed Raedsel and kill him. That much was evident. As such, Darius began to ally himself with Swain in preparation of a future without Boram Darkwill. Darius and his followers, mostly low ranking military personnel or government officials, had pledged their allegiance to Swain in secret. The few of Darius' followers that were in high places had started to shuffle things around a bit, looking for possible contenders of the title and began to eliminate them, one by one. An example would be the unfortunate Brigadier General Braham. While not as high as the rest of the contenders, he was held in very high regard and had powerful friends in equally powerful places. So, he was sent to a distant outpost in Ionia to oversee the removal of Noxian Military forces.

All of Swain's opponents had been removed one way or another, except for Keiran Darkwill. Darius hated working with the intolerable megalomaniac, but, sacrifices had to be made in order for a war to be won, and this was no exception. For the time being the Hand of Noxus would stay his hand.

* * *

Keiran viciously jabbed his boots into the stallion's sides, wheeling it about. The Dread Guard had been searching the small town fruitlessly for the past hour. They had painstakingly searched every nook and cranny each building had to offer; several times even Keiran came in to investigate for himself. But each of the platoons had turned up empty handed, causing them to be even more frustrated and grumble even louder about how much of a waste this was.

Keiran restrained the urge to punch the nearest officer, but did not hide his ugly scowl as he brooded.

_Where in hell did she go?_

"General Darkwill!"

Hearing his name the General wheeled about once more," What is it," he snarled.

Darius looked unfazed, annoying Keiran even more.

"One of the villagers says he had spotted the Deceiver a while ago, near the edge of the village." Darius jerked an armored thumb at the nearest road out of town.

"But that leads to Demacia," hissed Keiran," why would she go there? The Demacians consider the words 'Black Rose' to be synonymous with 'Noxian' and 'High Command,' there is nothing she would gain by going there? Keiran stroked his chin, mulling over what LeBlanc could possibly gain from gonig to Demacia. "Perhaps she wishes to remain undercover there, as we would _never_think to look there?" Darius rolled his eyes as understanding lit up Keiran's dull eyes.

_Should we go? It is the border, the Demacians would consider this a violation of the peace treaty…_

Keiran mentally shrugged, shaking off his doubts. He bared his teeth in that famous wolfish grin of his," Mobilize your troops Colonel, we have some catching up to do."

Darius nodded doubtfully, but complied with his General's orders.

* * *

LeBlanc walked along the narrow dirt road leisurely, followed by her entourage.

"Milady," wheezed Erwin," could we possibly stop and rest?"

"Nonsense Erwin," she spoke jovially, as if they were going on a picnic rather than trying to stay ahead of one of the fiercest military forces Valoran had ever seen," you know we cannot stop now, Keiran has no doubt found our plant by now." She glanced upwards at the autumn sun," I would've thought that even _that_buffoon would've found our plant by now."

" Kurine, how far until the Demacian border?"

"Eh, uh, ermm…" the sound of rustling papers broke Kurine's mumbling," ah we are about… two miles away from the Demacian border."

She glanced disapprovingly over her naked shoulder," Really Kurine you must be more prepared! This is why I tend to _not_trust my subordinates' judgments."

_At least, not since Swain_her pretty face twisted into a face of pure loathing. _Traitorous bastard._

"Milady!" her pendent began to emit a steam like substance, clouding the air in front of it in a thick gray cloud. Gradually, the cloud began to form colors and facial features until she could recognize the plant she had left behind in the town, a twenty year old girl with pleasant features and raven colored hair.

"What is it Terriza?"

"A Dread Guard Colonel found me, Colonel Darius I believe, and he questioned me about your whereabouts."

"Did you give him the information I told you to?"

"Yes Milady, he has taken the information to Keiran. The Dread Guard seem to be rather unexcited to be here, they aren't motivated. It seems that only Keiran really wants to capture you, the rest couldn't care less."

LeBlanc nodded, and turned to her followers," You can ease the pace, we only need Keiran to catch up to us and then you can scatter. He only wants me. Is that clear?"

The group shifted in their saddles, apparently uncomfortable with the idea of abandoning their leader.

LeBlanc shook her head in quiet amusement at her lackeys, then turned her attention to the pendent.

"Good Terriza, leave the area and report back to your section chief. I want you to go over the information our informants have sent in. I will be joining you after all this is done."

The black haired girl nodded and cut the connection. Looking behind her to make sure that Keiran hadn't sent ahead scouts, LeBlanc pressed on the ruby set in the gold pendent and spoke clearly," Cheriknikov."

The gray mist formed once again, and this time revealed a man with a white scar over his left eye, another scar running diagonally across his mouth, a single green eye, dark skin, and brown hair.

"Yes?" he asked bluntly, not too pleased by LeBlanc's sudden intrusion. She could see green foliage about him, evidently he was hiding.

"Are you in position?"

"Aye, I am near the border. However, I can't get across with all these sentries about. I would become a pincushion before setting a foot on Noxian ground."

"Don't worry about that Cheriknikov, we'll handle them. Just get to the capital and finish your mission.

* * *

Keiran halted the column of men as they reached the top of the hill, examining the three paths that were offered to him. All three of the dirt paths were overgrown with vegetation, which would make it somewhat difficult to move the battalion as whole, but it would only serve as an annoyance at worst.

"Colonel Darius" Keiran turned in his saddle to look down at the black haired Dread Guard officer," I want you to take command of a third of the troops and head down the left. The Major will take another third and head down the right. I will take the remaining troops and go down the middle. Same signal as before, fire a red flare when you spot our target."

The Colonel fidgeted," Sir, are you sure it is wise for us to be venturing this close to the Demacian borders?"

"No I am not Darius," he cocked his head to the side in annoyance," we must capture LeBlanc, and if we can, some of her followers. It will strike a great blow to the leadership and morale of the Black Rose, giving the High Command the opportunity to quell the insurgents in one swift blow."

_And I, Keiran Darkwill shall be at the head of the charge, _he thought to himself gleefully, a sneer enveloping his mouth.

"Are there any more questions?"

"No, sir."

"Very well then, let us be off."

Keiran called to his side a third of the platoon leaders, all of them second or first lieutenants," I want all of you to form a V formation behind me. I will be at the head with Forkes. Antonidas, I want you at the rear with Verilus, you two will be responsible for the flares. Everyone else fall in."

He jerked his head towards the front," Come along Forkes, gather your men."

Keiran palmed his sword, a great double bladed longsword, its pommel in the shape of a skull with its cross guard curving downwards. The grip was a dark green, with yellow intermixed, the color of his father's house. All in all, it was a very simple and straightforward weapon for such a boastful, self-centered man, a paradox if you will.

Keiran huffed as his horse was held up by the overgrown weeds, the overgrowth entangling themselves in the horses long legs. Keiran cursed as he pointed at a nearby lieutenant," You!" he snarled," cut the weeds, we cannot afford to be held up! Quickly now!"

The officer grimaced, as if the task pained him to do it, but drew his dirk and began to cut away at the weeds.

Keiran, in a state of agitation ordered several of the Dread Guard to move forward and scout ahead while the rest of the party would plod on behind. Motioning for the remaining Dread Guard troops to follow him he moved forward, watching for any signs of the Black Rose.

All of a sudden, he heard the faint sounds of a crack, and then an explosion. He raised a fist, halting the column and listened intently, straining to catch the noise aga- there! The same sounds, this time accompanied by faint shouting and the unmistakable sounds of steel crashing into steel.

"FIRE THE FLARE!" Keiran bellowed, his horse rearing up and pointing the way with his drawn sword.

He urged his horse onwards at an increasingly faster pace using his spurs, cruelly jabbing into the steed's underbelly. His eyes were wild, his hair disheveled, he was practically drooling at the mouth. He left his detachment of soldiers behind, deaf to their cries and the sound of the flare being fired, focusing only on his objective.

Keiran forged onwards, brushing past the ever more intimidating overgrowth until finally, he broke out into a clearing. Seeing the scouts he had sent ahead earlier engaged in combat with members of the Black Rose. His predatory eye scoured the battlefield until he spotted a scantily clad female standing in the midst of the battle wielding her scepter.

_LeBlanc. _

A crazed leer broke out on his face and then he howled his battle cry, raising his head to the sky.

* * *

Colonel Berith York of the Ninth Border Guards wasn't having the most usual of days. First, Garen Crownguard and battalion of his Dauntless Vanguard had arrived in the late afternoon, tired and sweaty from their three hour long ride from the capital. The Dauntless Vanguard was a regiment of 5,000 men, headed by none other than Brigadier General Garen Crownguard.

They were famous for their exploits against Noxus, facing off against Noxus' most infamous of military forces, among them: the Steel Legion, the Blood Hussars, the Black Coats, the Iron Brigade, the Raven Guard, the 17th Legionaries, the Death Knights, and arguably the most notorious of all, the Dread Guard.

They had repeatedly beaten off attacks of enemy forces that outnumbered them at least five to one at the battle of Lightshield Pass, destroyed numerous Noxian regiments, bested the best of Noxus' elite, and in short, were the pride of Demacia's military. So, needless to say, the Ninth Border Guards were ecstatic to have the legendary Dauntless Vanguard visiting _them_, a garrison of 3,000 common foot soldiers whose duties included sitting, reading, watching, sleeping, eating and the like.

Of course, the nature of their visit was disclosed, but they soon found out when the sounds of battle broke out across the border. The Colonel and his men had rushed to the battlements to see what was the matter, only to see some of the Dread Guard battling it out with some mages on the fields across from their Keep. That had been their second shock of the day. Their third was when Keiran Darkwill himself charged down the hill by himself screaming his battle cries as he ran down the participants of the battle, cutting down several mages before being knocked off of his horse by a stray concussion blast.

He had leapt up, fury in his eyes as he began to search the battlefield for a specific enemy, whom he had found. A woman. The Grand General's son had rushed forwards, wielding his longsword as he hacked at empty air. The woman kept disappearing as soon as he closed the distance, appearing to the side of him, behind him, or just further from him. His face grew redder at each failed attempt, rage and frustration clearly showing.

The Border Guards had been laughing uproariously amongst themselves at the sight of Keiran Darkwill being bested by a mere _woman_. Even the Colonel himself letting a small grin appear. But the Dauntless Vanguard, Garen included, watched dispassionately, studying the situation with a cool indifference. That was when the _fourth _shock of Colonel York's day. At least a thousand Dread Guards, clad in full battle armor surged over the hilltop with none other than Colonel Darius himself leading the charge.

At that, Garen's eyes lit up. It was well known that Darius and Garen had a sort of rivalry between them, it was only fitting that the Might of Demacia and the Hand of Noxus should have an eternal contest between each other. They had first met at the Battle of Thermopylae years ago, the Dread Guard facing off against the Dauntless Vanguard in a narrow pass, lasting three days. It had been a battle of the ages, with attacks, counter attacks, both sides sustaining heavy casualties. But the real centerpiece of the battle was the duel between the two heavyweights of the warring nations. Darius and Garen had found each other by chance, Garen first seeing him as Darius cut down five of his men with one swing of his axe, Doombringer. Darius had let a sneer emerge, and they had began their duel then. It had lasted for at least two hours, both parties taking heavy, almost fatal, damage. Since then, their rivalry had turned into a kind of game, with both of them trying to see which one of them was the better warrior.

Garen , upon seeing that the Dread Guard and Darius in particular were trying _extremely _hard to capture the woman, let out a yell," TO ARMS DAUNTLESS VANGUARD!" And with that, he had drawn his great sword and exploded from the gates of the fort, charging forwards recklessly into the fray, determined to foil Darius' plans.

His troops had followed suit, doing exactly what their commander did, jumping from the bastion's walls and streaming out of the gate, running into the thick of it with cries of," DEMACIA!"," FOR THE KING!", or," DEMACIA FOREVER!" The two hordes of armor had crashed into each other with a resounding clash of steel against steel, and the sounds of warfare filled the cool fall sky.

_Hardheaded fools _the Colonel thought admiringly. Turning to his troops, who were looking at him expectantly, he roared out his orders," ARE WE TO STAND HERE WHILE OUR COUNTRYMEN FIGHT NOXUS WITHOUT US? TO BATTLE!"

The Border Guards lets out a cheer, and rushed down the battlements and out the gate and into the fray. The Colonel grabbed a young man by the shoulder," You must go inform the King of these developments! Go to the falconry!"

The young man looked crestfallen, but nodded and grabbed the reins of a nearby horse and galloped off to find the nearest falconry.

* * *

Keiran was becoming increasingly irritate by LeBlanc's antics. She would stay just out of sword range from him, then when he charged forward and swung, she would appear in an area she had just blinked from. He couldn't just stay in one area in the hopes that he could catch her blinking, she wasn't that stupid.

He gritted his teeth as he faced the agonizing reality, he would need help to capture her.

_No matter, I'll just take all the credit. _

"DARIUS," he roared," TO ME!"

* * *

Darius whirled about, swinging Doombringer around and then bringing it onto the skull of an advancing Demacian soldier wearing the colors of the Dauntless Vanguard. The soldier's skull split suddenly as the metal edge broke the top of his cranium and blood and brain matter flew, painting the air and the ground in a messy red and gray pattern.

He snarled in anger, _The Dauntless Vanguard? Here? How in holy hell did they know we were coming here? _

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Keiran scream out," DARIUS, TO ME!"

Snarling in agitation he snagged several nearby Dread Guards," CAPTURE THE DARK LADY!" he roared out over the din of battle.

Garen Crownguard brought down his mighty sword, cutting a Dread Guard in two. He kept his eyes moving, searching for his opponent.

_There! _He spotted Darius finishing off his opponent, then turning around, pausing, and then roar out his orders to capture the "Dark Lady."

_The Black Rose is here? _He thought in surprise, _Ah the mages. _He bellowed his orders," DAUNTLESS VANGUARD CAPTURE LEBLANC, I WILL DISTRACT DARIUS!"

And with that, the Might of Demacia raced forward, bowling over anyone standing in his way, whether they be friend or foe, and then jumped up, bringing his sword arm behind him and then thrust forwards as he came crashing down at Darius.

Darius, ever vigilant, did not disappoint and to Garen's rather _strange _satisfaction he dove to the right and about faced, bringing Doombringer up to bear.

His eyes narrowed as he looked his mortal enemy in the eye. Garen let a smug grin appear," Surprised to see me, Darius?"

"I should've known you Demacian scum would've shown up sooner or later."

"Glad to know that I'm wanted," he said, his smug grin growing ever wider.

Darius just hissed and snarled at the lieutenants standing by, torn between helping their beloved commander or capturing LeBlanc," Go and capture her, she is far more important than I!"

His black armored lieutenants nodded hesitatingly, then one cried out," Look out!' his eyes growing in horror.

Darius turned to see the Might of Demacia rushing forwards, then leaping off the ground, bringing his great sword behind him, preparing for a great blow. Darius brought up his axe handle in the nick of time as the edge of Garen's great sword slammed into it, sending vibrations up his arms.

Darius spat through gritted teeth," Go! Go! Get the woman!"

Turning his full attention to Garen, he snarled," Never took you for one to stab someone in the back."

His smug grin was still on his face," Just trying to keep you on your toes, old friend."

Darius let an ugly scowl appear, then jumped forwards, shoving a booted foot into Garen's chest plate, propelling him backwards. Garen tripped on his accursed cloak and fell, giving Darius a golden opportunity. Darius then bounded towards his fallen enemy, bringing Doombringer to the side of his head, holding it with both hands, then taking advantage of a nearby boulder, jumped off of it and prepared a special move he dubbed the "Noxian Guillotine." He had been saving it for an especially festive occasion, and this fit the bill perfectly.

The overpowering itch and urge to laugh at his triumph was cut short when a flurry of bolts hit his side. As he came crashing down, he spotted what had intervened on Garen's behalf. A group of horsemen captained by Prince Jarvan the IV, accompanied by the Fourth Yeomen, a crack division of archers. He snarled as he began to pull out the black feathered shafts that were stuck in his armor. He turned to finish Garen, but was met by a another volley of arrows. The archers began to pick off Dread Guards, meticulously working their way around the battlefield. Many of his beloved Dread Guard comrades fell to their knees, their chests embedded with the arrows of the Fourth Yeomen.

He looked up at the archers, then at the Border Guards and Dauntless Vanguard that were beginning to overwhelm his men. In a split second he made his decision," FALL BACK! WE CANNOT HOLD!"

_Consequences be damned, I will not let the Dread Guards be minced to pieces on a chance that we may capture LeBlanc, especially not here. _

Darius felt an itch in his hand, a _very _familiar itch that was ordering him to behead Keiran Darkwill for his incompetence as a commander.

* * *

Cheriknikov made his way silently past the warring soldiers, careful to make sure his stealth was activated and he had covered his tracks. He cast one last glance at rapidly disappearing Black Rose and then melded into the shadows, starting his long trek towards the Noxian capital.

He had arrived at the capital two days later, travelling to places on horse was one thing, one foot was another. Especially when one had to keep to the back roads and stay out of sight for fear of being identified as a Demacian. He had gotten a few hours of well deserved sleep before paying what he owed the innkeeper and leaving it.

He had found the manor with minimal difficulty. He just went to the richer looking districts that were closer to the base of the skull, and finding the districts in which the elite resided in, looked around for the military ones, and then looked for the Du Couteau residence.

He examined the walls that surrounded the estate. They were tough, but not impregnable.

_Anything made by a human can be bypassed by a human. _

He checked his equipment for the third time that hour, cracked his neck, and then began to slowly, stealthily, make his way to the mansion.

* * *

Talon lay awake on his bed. He had tried sleeping in it the past few days, but it felt too... comfortable. Foreign. He sighed in exasperation and then folded up his cloak and lay supine on the wooden floor of his quarters.

It felt a little bit better now, the hard unaccommodating feeling of the floor reminded him of the hard cobblestone streets he would sleep on for the past twenty or so years of his life. But it wasn't enough. Talon let out another exasperated sigh as he stood up and left his room.

**Ok, I just added the Darius/Garen rivalry just because I thought that they had one. I mean they're a lot alike, they're the poster soldier for their respective nations, are bruisers, and I would think that they are relatively close in rank. Just to be clear, they will not be a pairing, I just added them. Thank you for reading this and please review :D It makes me really happy :D **

**Now, I would like to end my 8th chapter of ****Noxian Assassins ****by asking you guys about a new title for my fic. I was toying with new titles, as Noxians Assassins is generic. I have this new title in my head, ****True Strength**** because this is a fic about Talon finding "true strength." I was also inspired by this song ** watch?v=kPGSp-wgZPY **It's pretty damn awesome. So let me know if you prefer my current title or ****True Strength****. **

**If you want even more epic music, go here ** watch?v=hwTCO8U0Mg8&list=FL7Jz0xQxLau1Na50K-7g2sg&index=1

**Both are epic, and I listen to these while I write this fic, so you know just how epic these are ;)**

**The Dread Guards helmets would have the horns of ** art/helldiver-Zatoichi-167241269** and assorted helmets.  
**

**Finally, if you don't know what a WarCraft Death Knight looks like, this is an example ** files/2fkPoRGqGONtJywvDTiIK-7wNHyN2IvLw7lRPiBCHxT3 6mcXCfYTIaNS5FAzbfbPDUqq65O6h*7VRQQxF6q*

**I probably will do more linking in the future, to help you guys get a better idea of what I'm trying to describe. Hopefully, I won't have to do much of that so... The Death Knights will probably make an appearance, maybe as Swain's personal guard? I just have an idea that the Honor Guard would change with each Grand General, it would be boring to have the same green and gold all the time, no? **


	9. Chapter 9

**OH MAH GAWD WE PASSED 50 REVIEWS! This is an unprecedented feat in my "career" here on FanFiction, and was so ecstatic when the fiftieth review came in :D Thank you guys for the overwhelming response to this fic, and please keep reviewing as it just makes me all the more determined to finish this fic (basically, more reviews= a better chance this fic will be finished). Thank you XDGuardianExliedXx, mamba9524 (I believe you were the fiftieth?), Meep Triforce, llamagod22, LadySpindle, Talon Du Couteau, WingsofRequiem, Donutknightz, Last Redemption, Sir ShamanSushi DragonPaprika, ElPresidente5, and ryanyrooster for reviewing, favoriting, and following. Your support warms my heart :D **

**Talking Back: xDGuardianExliedXx- ****Well, romance adds a bit more depth to the story, as opposed to just having action action action etc. There are so really good romance LoL fics out there, one just needs to look. Yeah, I pride myself in that xD Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

**WingsofRequiem- ****It's ok, just as long as you review XD I can imagine that, as you released two chapters back to back (unless you already prepared them on your trip?). Wow... just wow... That's so... sadistic o.O****Yeah, I'm trying. I can probably do much better, though I'm not entirely sure how to go about that, so I rely on reviews and such to see what I'm doing good/bad. I think that the hate stemming from the fear for Katarina could've been hinted at in Chapter 7, then put out in the open later, but it is what it is, and I can edit that later. Yeah, you should ;) Kidding.****Hmm, I don't think it specifically says that Swain was the cause of Marcus' disappearance, but it kind of implies it. But it's up to you, if you want to have him be the cause, then go ahead. It seems like your fic is heading in that direction though.****Donutknightz- First off, thank you for reviewing, it means a lot to me :D Secondly, you must realize that if a fic is just action, then it'll get boring real quick. The political/military meetings help advance the plot and break of the tediousness of my fic once in while.**

**Meep Triforce- Your favorite chapters keep on changing, huh? Well, I'm glad you enjoy my work so much :D Yeah, I kind of figured that Darius and Garen would have a rivalry, maybe we'll see more of it too come ;) **

**mamaba9524- Well, that's the point of a fanfic, is it not? Just sayin' D: Hmm, I could possibly use that, but I'm still leaning towards True Strength :D Or maybe I should use that for another League fanfic... idk But thanks for your idea anyways, I hope that you enjoy the rest of the fic!**

**Talon Du Couteau- ****Like your assassinations? Quick and painting the walls red with blood?****  
****Well, at least I got that down. It's still good to have a visual reference, especially with such epic pictures.****Yup... sorry D:****I would think you would.****Yet...****Hmm, I'm not really sure D: It's ok, I suck with titles as well XD I mean Noxian Assassins is so generic and meaningless. It's a story that promises meaningless drivel and bore-you-to-death kinds of banter.**

**LadySpindle- Huehuehuehue I can see that happening XD****Well, he's still going to make enemies... But, it's still lenient compared to the punishment he would've received in another army. Yup...****Thank you, I try to keep it diverse as I just like the feel it gives the story. I can't really explain it, but I just like it. That it would be (glad to see that you caught the reference).****Well, I specialize in battle scenes, which, I'm not quite sad to say, don't really advance the plot all that much :( Yes, combat tends to grow in size, making it move chaotic/complex etc. Yeah, they would hold some respect for each other, even though they are on different sides, because they are of equal skill and prowess. The joke? I did not include any joke (at least to my knowledge), knowing me, I probably included it without even thinking about it D: Yeah, I just can't really see them having an affair... ****Yeah, you'll probably hate him even more when the Kalamanda scandal arises XD****Well, the fic itself will focus on love, as Katarina, Talon, and Cassiopeia (who I have yet to establish as the main characters .) are going to find "true strength" in each other and in love, empathy, family etc. etc.****I've been watching some gameplay of some epic LeBlanc escapes, so I drew my inspiration from that. Nice to tie in some gameplay mechanics into the fic, is it not?Well, not necessarily the "right" thing, the best thing maybe, but not the right thing ;)****TAKE A BLADE TO THE FAAAAAAAAAAAAACE! I like to think that I listen to good music, and I will check out the recommended channel. I didn't really consider the music "Lolish," more like "epic" or "awe inspiring," anything along those lines. It does, doesn't it? Also has a nice ring to it!****I'll probably do more of the linking. ****I don't think it's that the Raedsel will be resenting Swain, it's more of," The old Grand General is dead, and I'm the new Grand General. So, in order to establish myself, I will surround myself with my very own, personally chosen, elite guards." Kind of like how each newly elected president changes the formatting of the White House (or maybe just the Oval Office) a little bit, to show that they're the new authority.****I probably should have planned this all out beforehand, but, it is what it is. Yeah, I'll make sure to take a look ;D I'll try to give as much support as you've given me, but I'm lacking in that department D:**

**References: Battle of Thermopylae- 300 Spartans and other Greek soldiers held off the Persian invaders for three days before being outflanked. It was an epic battle between two mortal enemies, so I thought it only fitting to include it in the Demacia/Noxus conflict.**

**Iron Brigade- Black Hat brigade, infantry contingent that fought for the Union during the American Civil War, dressed in black with black hats topped with black feathers. Suffered highest casualties of any brigade in the war. Noted for strong discipline, and tenacious fighting ability. Again, I thought it only fitting for the Noxians to have such a brigade. **

**Raven Guard- WarHammer 40K legion**

**Doombringer- Based on WarCraft character Orgrim Doomhammer and his hammer. Ferocious Warchief of the Horde, I thought Darius was similar, so I used his hammer :D **

**Finally, I would like to thank Lord of t3h ring for being my ever so wonderful beta, I really appreciate the work you do to help me along my journey. **

**Please remember to review, if you are intimidated by my other more vocal reviewers (namely LadySpindle, I blame you for this XD) don't be. Every little bit helps. Just tell me what's on your mind, what you think of the story so far, if my characters are likable etc. etc. Basically, just review. Anyways, enjoy the ninth chapter of my fic :D **

_On the Day of the Noxus-Demacia Border Incident_

"You did tell Cheriknikov where he was to meet his contact, yes?"

"Yes, milady."

"And you have prepared the rune to appear on his chest?"

"Yes, milady."

"Good, good… Why do you look so apprehensive?"

"Wouldn't it be suspicious that the assassination occurred after the Border Incident? Shouldn't we wait?"

"Of course not, those idiots in the High Command won't hold back their hate for the Demacians, they will call for war once some of their own fall within their own country. Remember, I did spend years studying them."

"Still, wasn't the border dispute a little… much?"

"No, for two reasons. One, our assassin is able to cross the border while escaping notice. Two, the border incident is fresh in everyone's minds, so who gets to take the blame?"

"Demacia."

"Exactly, then they will ignite and tend the fires of war by themselves, all the needed was a little _push_. To a new world order."

"To a new world order… Milady?"

"What is it _now_?"

"_They _are worried about the rest of the… potential troublemakers."

"_They_ meddle too much in our affairs. Did I not _specifically _tell them that I would take care of everything up to this point, and _then _they could take over from there? Their worry wartism will be the death of me."

"Well, their worry is understandable, milady. After all, they have so much on the line here."

"Still… what do they want?"

"They just added to his tasks and gave a very _specific _order of how he was to take them out."

"I don't much like this… very well, send the message."

"Very well milady, oh, and milady?"

"Just be quiet, I don't need to hear you sniveling anymore. It irritates me to no end."

* * *

_One Day After The Noxus-Demacia Border Incident _

"Good day to you."

"And good day to you, stranger."

"I assume you are the doctor?"

"Why yes, I am."

"So what does the fair rose say?"

"She says to assassinate all of them."

"Ah, she is giving me more work to do. She is paying me for the new contracts, yes?"

"Yes, yes, of course. But only if succeed."

"Boy, do you really think I wouldn't have accepted if I wasn't good?"

"That is of no concern to us. Our only concern is for you to complete your task. You will meet our contact near your target's location. You will follow the contact, and the contact will provide you a way to get at the target. Once you are inside, the contact will wait for you to meet him at the same spot. Remember, you kill _all _of them, no exceptions."

"I understood that the first time boy."

* * *

_Present Day _

Cheriknikov waited impatiently in the darkness, it was maddening to have to sit by his target's house and not do anything, but any effort to make the contract as easy as possible had to be accepted.

He thought back to his employers, most of them were clothed in purple robes lined in gold, hoods masking their faces. They looked familiar, he couldn't quite place them, but he _had _seem them somewhere. The papers maybe?

But it was the woman amongst them captured his attention, she was by _far _the _most _interesting thing he had seen in a long time. She was the Dark Lady, LeBlanc. He had heard tales of her beauty and youthfulness, but none of them did her justice.

He smirked to himself as he thought about the luscious curves that made up her body, the full breasts. He could practically feel the-

A quiet rap against a tree sounded out in the darkness, seeming to have been amplified by the silence that surrounded him.

The hired assassin fumbled through the fog of his mind for the words his contact had told him to use upon reaching the appointed meeting place," Arak nathal," the words tumbled out roughly, unused to such a unfamiliar language.

The stranger in the darkness replied with the assigned code phrase," Thelm behn schniblee." A black robed figure emerged from the shadows of the grove. "Your infiltration point has been prepared," the figure gestured vaguely at the wall," the guards have been taken care of, but still be careful and avoid the barracks."

Cheriknikov nodded," So I will not meet any guards?"

"Yes."

"Ah, what an achievement to be able to slip past all of his guards!"

"Only with inside help you insolent _fool_."

"Watch your tone," Cheriknikov spoke almost playfully while waggling his index finger at the black cloaked man," that's no way to treat a hired man, _especially _one that's already made it past these walls before."

The man continued on, ignoring him, irking Cherikinov slightly," There are several guards that were not… cooperative. You may encounter some of them along the way. You are allowed to take them out, but do so quietly."

"Does LeBlanc not think that I understand that part?"

"That is no way to talk to the Dark Lady."

Cheriknikov made a whipping motion with his hand.

Ignoring it the stranger continued, "Remember the order you are to follow? Follow it. To the letter. Understood?"

"Sir," Cheriknikov rolled his eyes and gave a one-fingered salute. The Black Rose member responded by jerking its head towards the walls.

"There is also a… slight problem. Most of your targets went to bed without taking the drugs, so be careful. Make sure to follow your instructions."

"There is no need to go over the plan thirty times as if I am some yellow bellied greenie," Cheriknikov snarled, rolling his eyes.

_I swear these Black Rose members get more and more irritating… _He pulled the skull mask over his head, and sighed in satisfaction as his magic and the techmaturgy in the mask acted together to create a special night vision that was better than either of the two methods alone. _It is good to be a technological genius with magical powers… _

He let out a little cackle, but quickly silenced himself as he searched the wall for his infiltration point.

_Hmmm, seems to have changed since my last infiltration… Ah, here it is. _

Cheriknikov palmed a subtle indentation, cast a silent cleaning spell, and then he was in.

* * *

Talon lay awake in bed, still unable to sleep. He had been tossing and turning for the past several hours in his warm bed, constantly shifting the contours of his bed in a vain attempt to drift off to sleep. Sighing in exasperation, he sat up and tumbled out of bed, fumbling for his pants and belt. As he looked around with bleary eyes for his black jackboots (think Wehrmacht issue boots), he tripped on his blade.

Scowling at his mistreatment of his most precious possession, Talon examined the blade, it was scuffed and dirty. Huffing, he grabbed his boots and pulled them on, and then set out into the manor to find some water and cloth.

Talon crept around the manor, it must've been at least the third time he had walked this corridor. He had no idea what came over him, he just felt this _need _to check the perimeter.

At first Talon just attributed his inability to sleep in a bed after being forced to survive so many years of discomfort and hard living, or to missing his supper, but once he left his room, he failed to go back in again. At first, he had vigorously cleaned his blade, blowing his breath on it and making sure that it was perfectly clean, ate some food he scavenged from the larder, and then set off with the intention of going to bed. Instead he had ended up patrolling the manor for the past hour and a half. He felt rather ridiculous carrying around his blade and walking around in nothing more than a shirt, pants and boots in the dead of night.

He glanced up at the grandfather clock in the middle of the hallway. It read 2 o'clock, he had been walking around the manor for the past_ five _hours. Talon snarled in disgust at his stupidity, he need the sleep as today was supposed to be a busy day, with Captain Zane returning from his sick leave and the League meeting. So, he began to make his way across the manor towards the wing that contained most of the bedrooms.

On the way back, he felt a cold draft kiss his neck. He shivered involuntarily, winter was fast approaching, frost was already beginning to form on the windows, much earlier than expected.

Talon began to search for the open window, silently cursing the cold. He squinted as he found the window, the frigid air blowing into his face, bringing in all the tiny dust particles into his eyes. As a result, he missed the dagger, and almost jumped when he felt its abrupt presence underfoot.

Overcoming his initial shock, he bent down to examine the dagger. It was long and thin, with a handle bound with red cloth. It was also bloody. He pressed a finger against the liquid that stained the blade, trying to see how solid it was. It was semi-solid, meaning that the dagger's owner was nearby. But who was the victim?

Talon peered out the window, searching for a body or a blood stain.

He almost missed it, there was a hand poking out of the shadow that was cast by the wall surrounding the estate. The gloved hand was frozen in time, its fingers forever locked in its writhing gesture. His eyes narrowed, the dagger's owner was hostile, and was heading towards the General's quarters.

He silently thanked his street instincts as he began to creep down the hallway, the rug muffling his footfalls as he quietly checked each of the corridors he came to.

His heart was pounding, his pupils larger than normal, sweat covering his skin; it was not often that he had to go stalk his prey, they _always _came to him. This was a… rare occurrence.

Talon crouched behind a wooden table, stopping to compose his scattered thoughts and come up with a plan. The assassin couldn't be far, the break in was only recent. From what he could tell, the assassin hadn't seen him patrolling the manor, or else he wouldn't have been so careless in leaving the window open. The intruder's mission was probably to assassinate General Du Couteau, but the real question was, where was he?

He had entered the house through the east wing perhaps ten minutes ago, which probably meant that the hostile was somewhere nearby, _Perhaps at the stairwell? _

Talon began his slow and silent crawl towards the stairwell, his senses on high alert as he took painstaking precautions to avoid being detected. As he came to the stairwell, he paused behind a nearby wall to observe the upper floor. His began to squint in order to bring the fuzzy darkness into a clear coherent picture, and then satisfied with how it looked, began to proceed up the staircase.

He kept low to the ground, trying to minimize his profile and he gradually made his way up the staircase, quietly cursing the General for living in such a tall building. When he reached the upper part of the staircase, he halted, once again squinting in an effort to understand the murky blackness that surrounded him.

Seeing nothing of interest, he continued along at his steady pace, slowly moving deeper in the west wing. He suddenly flattened himself against the wall and stared down the corridor, seeing a black apparition flee away from him. His mouth was dry; he didn't realize what was happening to him. He was _never _this concerned about a fight; it perplexed and infuriated him at the same time. As he swallowed his spit in an attempt to moisten his throat, he began to edge slowly towards the corridor that led down to the General's bedroom.

He carefully stuck his head out into the corridor and then began to scrutinize the darkness that blanketed the hallway. Talon breathed slowly through his nose, he would have to go down the passageway and examine it himself.

Steeling himself, Talon carefully proceeded down the hallway, sticking to one of the walls, fully expecting the unknown assassin to jump out of the darkness and slit his throat. But nothing happened.

Confused, Talon made his way down the other wall, searching the dim light for a shadow, a figure, anything that would give him a clue as to the assassin's whereabouts. Again, nothing.

He jiggled the doorknob, it was still locked. Upon close investigation, he found that there was no physical evidence of tampering. There was no magical residue on the door knob that suggested that it was damaged magically either.

Talon wiped an arm across his brow to clean the sweat that was accumulating there, and began to take in large gulps of air. He looked down the passageways that converged on the General's bedroom, and then moved down the one he just came through.

_If the assassin isn't here, then where is he? _

He pondered the assassin's mission. No doubt about it, the assassin would have to kill the General, but it seemed that he had secondary missions, or more likely, targets.

_The girls? _Talon looked down the hallway. It would make sense, as Katarina had just recently moved to the east wing where Cassiopeia lived in isolation…

_Katarina would be the higher priority, she was more promise as a servant of Noxus. _

Talon quickened his pace as he tried to cross the manor's length in time to prevent the tragedy. As much as he disliked (or hated) the Du Couteau sisters, it was his responsibility to protect them, and he was bound to that oath.

He lessened his clip as he neared the east wing of the mansion, closing in on the assassin's probable location. Talon stealthily moved through the darkness, his right arm extended slightly in front of the rest of his body.

As he neared the sisters' quarters, he paused at the corner, listening for any sounds. A pin dropped, and a curse was uttered. Talon flew around the corner, his blade drawn, and he leapt towards the intruder and- crashed into the floor.

Talon snarled as he propped himself up on his elbows, looking around in angered bewilderment.

_What the hell just happened? _

He stood up uncomfortably; the wounds in his arm and chest were burning as he had landed on them forcefully. He grimaced as a stab of pain shot through his arm, and he looked around the corridor, baffled.

Talon checked and examined both of the doorknobs, and turned up empty handed.

_So if he isn't at the General's, and he isn't here, who is he trying to fi- aww hell… _

Talon spun around, his blade being drawn by the force of his spin. He had made the about face in the nick of time as his blade _clanged _as it was hammered by the intruder's blades. His opponent was carrying two blades that looked more like forks with their middle prongs elongated considerably.

His opponent was close enough so that Talon could pick out certain features, such as the bone white skull with glowing red eyes that his opponent wore. He was tall, a little over 6', a little under Talon's 6'2".

His opponent hissed in a curious mix of pleasure and vexation," I was hoping you would be an easy kill, but I suppose that it is all for the best. It has been a while since I have had a challenge."

"Then you won't be disappointed."

"Let us hope so, _boy_."

The hostile shoved forwards suddenly, driving Talon backwards into one of the wooden doors that lined the hallway. In retaliation, Talon shot out his left palm, driving it into his opponent's throat as he closed in on Talon.

The mercenary was caught off guard, and as a result, backed off trying to catch breath. Satisfied that he now had some breathing room in which he could comfortably engage his enemy with his much larger weapon, Talon reengaged, thrusting forwards as he stepped off his right foot.

Unexpectedly, his enemy dove _under_ the flying human mass, and jabbed upwards with the hilt of one of a blade. Talon landed winded, and he hissed as the pains in his chest and arm began to flare up again.

Overlooking the pain Talon blocked three quick successive strikes that his opponent launched at him, and then returned with a power strike of his own. Lunging forwards, he swung out with his right hand in an attempt to impale his enemy.

The intruder acted with the speed and agility expected of an assassin, bringing up his peculiar looking blades he had locked Talon's in place, diverted his strike away from his head, and Talon ended up with his blade stuck in the wall.

Talon violently tugged his weapon free from the wall, leaving a three inch wide hole in the cream colored walls. He whirled about, and then quickly shoved himself against the opposite wall to avoid receiving two steel blades to the chest.

As the mercenary overextended, Talon grabbed his right arm and twisted it painfully and then continued the assault by stomping on his ankle, causing him to kneel down in agony. Not attempting to stop Talon swung at his face with his blade, intent on destroying his enemy, but was stopped by his opponent's other blade as he once again used the prongs of his weapon to halt Talon's attack cold.

The assassin's eyes became a brighter red as his body registered the injury Talon had inflicted on him, and he lashed out at the younger man with his injured leg, whipping it around his left leg and then pulling, forcing Talon downwards.

The intruder staggered upright, committed to ending Talon's short life with a stab to the neck, but was thrown back when Talon hurled himself headfirst into the mercenary's stomach. The force of Talon's sudden charge propelled both of them into the opposite wall, creating another, larger impression in the wall.

The masked assailant managed to knee Talon in the crotch and then push him away as he fell onto the ground trying to catch his breath. Talon, disoriented and in pain, held his crotch in the hopes that applying pressure would lessen the pain and quicken his recovery, began to slowly, and rather painfully, shuffle backwards in an attempt to gain some much needed distance between himself and his attacker.

His longer reach was a disadvantage when they were faced with their backs to the walls, and he wouldn't be able to maneuver as well. Granted, the corridor was still narrow either way, but at least without the wall behind his back it would make it that much easier.

His opponent managed to wheeze out," You are putting up quite the fight, boy. I mean I have heard rumors of you, but I always assumed that they were just stories made up by some fat drunkard from the countryside."

"Well from now on you'll be a believer," Talon managed to reply, his face twitching as it rebelled against his iron determination to show nothing.

The skull faced assassin merely grunted, then charged forwards to negate Talon's range advantage. Talon repeatedly beat off his attacks, but was being gradually shoved back, towards the end of the corridor. Once he had his back to the wall, is range advantage would mean nothing as his attacker would be able to slip into his optimal range and cut him to pieces.

Realizing his predicament, Talon waited on his opponent to make another thrust forwards, and then as his opponent lead with one arm, he batted his weapon away and charged shoulder first into the intruder, and shoved his elbow upwards viciously into his lower abdomen.

As his opponent was briefly launched into the air, Talon stepped backwards, sighted his opponent, and swung his left fist into his nose. A sickening _crack _was heard, and almost instantaneously a stream of crimson fluid began to flow down the assassin's face. The invader flew backwards almost three feet, and landed with a _whump_, and a cloud of dust exploded outwards from the impact point followed by his weapons.

Talon cautiously made his way towards him while nursing his stinging arm, still wary of his skillful opponent. He was right to be careful, for as soon as he came within range of his opponent, he had his legs knocked out from under him. Talon reacted quickly, managing to land on his palms and elbows as he came crashing down. His attacker rolled out of the way to avoid the younger man, and began to desperately crawl towards his blades.

Talon leapt at his opponent, just barely grabbing hold of his leg. He withdrew his right arm from the melee and then stabbed downwards, cutting through the leg of his opponent, who let out a muffle roar. The hostile wrenched his wounded leg from Talon's grasp, managing to catch his chin while doing so, and then ferociously stomped down on his upturned face, leaving Talon with a boot mark on his face.

Talon yelped and grabbed his face as he received his own personal broken nose. Talon began stand up, albeit rather shakily, his eyes tearing up from the blows to his face. He began to hastily claw at his face to clear away the tears that obscured his vision as he saw the blurry image of his foe scramble madly for his weapons.

As the masked assassin limped around to face him, Talon rasped," Looks like I get first blood- fists don't count. He said all of this with his usual stone faced glare, daring his opponent to make a move.

His opponent answered," You may have struck the first blow boy, but you will _not_ win," and finished his reply an egotistical flair.

Talon's eyes narrowed, then widened as his opponent conjured a blue ball of energy between his hands.

_Aww hell… _

"EXPLOSIVAE!"

Talon dove onto his belly as the blue ball whistled over his head and then crashed into the wall behind him. He winced as his shoulder and chest, still raw from the wounds they received, slide across the floor.

A _boom _was heard and the sound of masonry and wood snapping joined in the cacophony. Talon was forced to roll sideways to avoid another blue ball of energy, barely avoiding it. He did escape unscathed though as the heat of the magical attack singed his clothes and slightly burned his skin, resulting in the faint smell of burning hair that mixed with the scent of blood and sweat. The splinters that flew away from the exploding ball of energy also caused minimal damage, causing only a few minor scratches and tears in his skin.

Talon stood up quickly and flattened himself against the wall to evade another shot of blazing magical energy that flew past his hip and slammed into a section of the wall about five feet away. He ducked to avoid yet another attack, and then ran forwards in order to close the distance between him and the spell caster.

As Talon neared his opponent, the mage sidestepped his charge at the last second like a matador, then tripped Talon, and then swing his elbow into the back of Talon's head. Talon landed heavily, his vision was clouded, the distinct lights and darks of the world alternately fading and becoming more pronounced, distorting the world around him.

He felt rather than heard the thumps of footsteps to his side, and, comprehending its implications, rapidly spun onto his side, taking a blade in his shoulder rather than his heart. Snarling in his pain, the fogginess cleared abruptly, and he shoved his booted foot upwards, putting behind it all the force his pain racked body could muster.

One could almost hear the gruesome _pop _as the assassin gasped in pain and shock, his hands losing their grip on his weapons, which tumbled end over end towards the floor.

Talon, taking advantage of the situation, shot up, bringing his blade upwards in a vicious uppercut into the mercenary's stomach. The sickening _schlick _of a blade entering flesh was heard, but to Talon sound was… exciting, although not in a sadistic way. The feel of his blade entering his enemy's body, and the scent of the blood sent jolts of electricity in him, his body shooting overdoses of adrenaline into his body.

Victory was within his grasp, but was snatched from his hands as quickly as it came.

His opponent reacted with the same speed he had shown throughout the whole battle. Grabbing Talon's blade arm and drawing it away from his body, the slow drawn out sound of the blade leaving his body was heard. He then kicked out at Talon's knee, bringing him down and ripped his blade away from his arm, the leather straps snapping loose.

_I'm going to have to strengthen those. _

Talon answered by punching him in his exposed throat again, making him fall to his knees holding his throat as he struggled for air. He followed up his successful attack by jabbing upwards with his knee, knocking the assassin's head upwards, allowing him to grab it. He roughly manipulated the assassin's head so that they were looking at each other eye to eye, and snarled," _No one _enters this house and tries to kill me or _my _charges you impetuous bastard."

Talon finished his line by punching his downed opponent square in the face with enough force to make the mask crack, and a muffled screech was heard. However, the intruder was far from being defeated as Talon soon found out when a tongue of fire rushed outwards from one of his opponent's outstretched palms.

"INFERNO!"

Talon ducked underneath the jet of fire, feeling the top of his head being burnt slightly. He rushed forwards as soon as the flame sputtered out, in an attempt to finish the duel once and for all, but was met with a," TENEBRIS SPHERA," a large purple ball which flew into his chest, sending him hurtling backwards.

His head landed on a nearby pedestal that held the bust of an ancient Noxian general with a resounding _crack_. Talon felt a burning pain open up in his chest and arm as the blood began to gush out of his newly opened wounds, and he gingerly touched the back of his head. Talon recoiled in pain when he felt pain explode in his head.

He looked upwards at his advancing assailant, who had abandoned the mask after he had blown Talon away with his magic. His ugly face greeted him, illuminated by the sparse moonlight that framed the bust as he snarled," I'm going to enjoy this you bastard, you were more trouble than you were worth," conjuring up a red and orange ball of energy in his hands, the hallway was illuminated with the bright colors, making it seem something like a burning building," All of Valoran will know tomorrow that I, Cheriknikov, a lowly gypsy from Demacia, have done what no other assassin or army could. I have eliminated the Du Couteau bloodline."

His crazed features filled Talon's eyes as he struggled to breathe. Blood landed on Cheriknikov's face as Talon hissed," The General could best you in any fight."

Anger took the place of sadistic joy as Cheriknikov brought his hands above his head," WELL THE GENERAL WON'T LIVE TO TRY!" he bellowed.

Talon closed his eyes and once more came to terms with his death when a shrill, female voice resounded out in the corridor," Talon?"

_Katarina?_

* * *

Katarina was exhausted, the two days of extensive training both physically and mentally was beginning to take its toll on her. She and Talon had a rivalry of sorts, both trying to outdo each other in any and all areas of interest, whether it be melee combat, blade throwing, math… It had gotten to the point where Katarina had just gone to bed without eating dinner.

So, it was understandable that Katarina was extremely annoyed by the slamming and snarling that was going on outside. It was irregular, sounding out every now and then, sometimes rapidly, other times not as rapidly. Its volume changed frequently, fluctuating between high pitched squeals or low moans.

She had ignored it at first, thinking that it was her sister crying over her physical state, but as it continued she grew more and more impatient. She had covered her ears with her pillow, even using her hair as an additional sound buffer.

_God dammit, I'm going to have to add more soundproofing… _

Then she heard a familiar grunt.

_Talon? I fucking moved next to my horrible sister to distance myself from you, you cold heartless son of a bitch! Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone you PRICK? _

She grimaced, determined to outlast the annoying prick, but it eventually got to the point where she couldn't tolerate it any longer. She pocketed several of her favorite daggers, determined to cut off Talon's hands and opened the door.

The sight that greeted her was akin to what she thought the apocalypse would look like. There were several holes in the walls and in the floor, with splinters and burn marks surrounding the craters. Besides that were indents in the wall, some human shaped ones, others that looked like cut marks. Among the destruction were various splinters, pieces of wood, blood, some curious looking blades, scorch marks, and _Talon's blade?_

She then heard the rising voice of a madman, and saw a sudden flare of light, like the sun, yet not life giving or warming. It was dangerous; it would bring death to any it came into contact with. She looked for the source of the light and saw a beaten and bloodied Talon on the floor, at the mercy of a man clad in a black overcoat.

"I'm going to enjoy this you bastard, you were more trouble than you were worth. All of Valoran will know tomorrow that I, Cheriknikov, a lowly gypsy from Demacia, have done what no other assassin or army could. I have eliminated the Du Couteau bloodline."

"The General could best you in any fight."

"WELL THE GENERAL WON'T LIVE TO TRY!"

Unable to form cohesive thought Katarina let out the first thing that came to mind," Talon?" she shrieked, dumbstruck by the spectacle arrayed before her.

The enemy turned around, revealing an aging and hideous face that instantly turned into a perverted leer as he caught sight of her.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? One of the famous Du Couteau sisters. It's a shame that I couldn't have a little more _fun _with you, but your friend, Talon here," he slapped the back of Talon's head brutally," complicated things _considerably_. So, I'll have to kill you now."

"CONFLARGO!"

He sent the red orange ball flying towards her. Katarina stared at the approaching ball of flame, paralyzed, looking at the ball in morbid fascination and horror. Her mind was screaming at her to duck, to move, to roll, to do _anything _to avoid a fiery death.

Her instincts and training kicked in at the last second as she rolled to her left, extending her life as the exploding flames eagerly sucked in the oxygen in her area, asphyxiating her. She collapsed as her body struggled to bring in enough oxygen to sustain her, but was failing as the flames rapidly grew outwards, greedily devouring air to fuel its existence.

The mage's reflected disappointment as he said," What a pity, for a second there I thought I would have one less Du Couteau to worry about. But no matter," he summoned another ball, this time one that glowed a sickly green color," this should do the trick!"

He looked cheerful as he began to chant a spell," Mors omni-"

At that moment, Talon was unexplainably revitalized. His eyes snapped open, his body working overtime as newfound energy coursed through his body. Shooting forwards, he curled around Cheriknikov, who's eyes opened wide In consternation. Talon tackled him, launching them both into the window.

As they began their slow descent, Cheriknikov uttered the last syllables of his curse,"-bus."

The curse flew sideways as Talon's tackle had skewed his aim, and the green ball of light hit Talon directly in the chest.

Talon felt a sudden, burning feeling erupt in his chest. It gradually grew and encompassed his whole body, ripping apart tendons and organs, ravaging his body. Then Talon landed with a _splat _on the ground and lay still.

* * *

The General was seething with anger. He was in no mood to deal with the stupidity of the League Summoners, Keiran, or the Demacians.

He shook his leg impatiently, glancing at a nearby clock for the umpteenth time. Sighing in frustration and anger, he spoke to Swain who was seated in a velvet chair, resting his hands and chin on his walking stick.

"When will this be over?" the General would have usually shown more deference to his immediate superior, but at this point in time, he frankly didn't give a damn.

"We're not sure, Marcus," the High General intoned," the attempted assassination of you and your family by that Demacian gypsy has made the border incident that much more delicate and difficult to handle. The Demacians are denying any involvement in your attempted assassination, but the _very _suspicious disappearance of the suspect's corpse points to them."

The General just shook his leg even more furiously, his thoughts turning back to what he had woken up to. A corridor in the east wing had been all but destroyed, a fire had to be put out, there was a dead Praetorian on the grounds of the estate, the Praetorians themselves had all been drugged, Katarina was in the infirmary recovering from oxygen loss, and Talon was suffering from massive wounds which he probably wouldn't survive.

_Dammit, dammit… _The General began to massage his forehead. _Dammit Talon… you foolhardy, stupid, idiotic… magnificent child. Why did you have to find him by yourself? _Sighing and resigning himself to the fact that the League meeting was going to take an extended amount of time he leaned back into his chair and dozed off to sleep.

* * *

"WHAT? You can't just _leave _the League!" Jarvan the IV sputtered.

"Of course I can, _boy_," Boram snarled, his face being projected by a large ball hovering at the front of the room. "Noxus joined voluntarily, and it will leave voluntarily. The League has done _nothing _but complicate matters between our two respective countries, all the while favoring Demacia. I WILL NOT STAND THIS!"

The Grand General began to hack and cough. Waving away his attendants he began again," If the League persists in favoring Demacia even though it is so _blatantly _trying to eliminate the Noxian leadership, then we have no choice but to withdraw from the League and deal with these matters on our own accord."

Looking around at the assembled delegates from Noxus, Demacia, and the League he demanded," AM I NOT RIGHT? I HAVE A LEGITIMATE CONCERN, AND I WILL NOT BE STOPPED BY SOME PETTY SUMMONER PROCLAIMING THE NEED FOR GLOBAL PEACE! GLOBAL PEACE WILL _NOT _BE HAD WHILE THE LEAGUE IS DICTATING GLOBAL POLICY FOR THE REST OF VALORAN!"

Snarling, he cut the connection, leaving some rather terrified delegates.

* * *

"You do realize what this means, right?"

"Of course I do, LeBlanc failed in her assassination and we have to compensate for her failure."

"Well, it wasn't so much the Black Rose as it was us; we were the ones who wanted her to kill them all. If we had just stuck to the original plan everything would have gone on without a hitch."

"No, there was still that _Talon _child. I knew this was a bad idea once Du Couteau took him in, it made the mission next to impossible. Because of _him _the mission failed miserably and Noxus is leaving the League. Without Noxus in the League it will make taking over all of Valoran all the more difficult."

"Well the mission did accomplish something, the Talon child will probably die. If he somehow miraculously recovers, we can always have our spy kill him while he is weak."

"Of course of course, but what about the bigger picture?"

"What about it? The objective hasn't changed, and we will still use the original plan with slight adjustments to compensate for our folly. In fact, we could play this to our advantage. Diplomatic relations between Noxus and Demacia are the tensest they have been since the Rune War. All they need is a _push_. Once that happens, Noxus will fall back in line with the rest of them. Of course, we must first eliminate Du Couteau and Darkwill, as they will be opposed to it."

"It will come down to Darkwill's son and Swain. We obviously want Swain at the helm, but how to do go about it… Darkwill Junior and Swain both have about an equal following and hold about equal sway in the High Command so it will come down to single combat… We will need to, ah, slide things in Swain's favor."

"And how will we do that?"

"LeBlanc did recall Cheriknikov, yes? Good, the old boy still has some use… It seems that the mind wipe was effective, no?"

"Yes, the mind wipe was conducted as you ordered. He remembers the job to some extent, but not the target nor his employers. Really, you should not worry yourself with such trivial matters. "

**Well, I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading, and please review! Remember, there is no such thing as a bad review… unless it is a bad review, but **_**anyways **_**please review. I have a lot of them, but most of them come from a fraction of my followers, and only of fraction of **_**them **_**review regularly; I would appreciate it if the rest of you would review (anonymous reviews are accepted), or at the very least, go use the poll on my profile! Remember, your feedback is much valued by me and that it just makes me all the more determined to finish the fic.**

**Cheriknikov's Weapons are sai, the things you see Raphael use. ** pics/sai_

**Epic Music: ** watch?v=5oivVSOCjHg

watch?v=Cv7yOj7XfnA

watch?v=XpdffyOFJso

watch?v=V7OdI-b61qg

watch?v=ko9YoeFXNz8

watch?v=K8AdrYxFbro

**I didn't include any references to any games or books etc, but I did include a champion and a champion's name in the text :D **


	10. Chapter 10

**70+ reviews… Oh my god… I… I… I can't really explain how much this means to me guys… Really… The outpouring of support is just… awesome… It's so… awe inspiring, I've never had this much success in any of my ventures of my fics… I'm just glad that the fic that is receiving the most acclaim in a fic about my otp ;)**

**Thank you, Dusk Ado II, Shant Writes, the readerz, KotycDuCouteau, GoG ToXiC, WingsofRequiem, xDGuardianExiledXx, pie6013, Meep Triforce, Talon Du Couteau, llamagod22, Donutknightz, mamba9524, SnipersCreed, Lt. Thornton, and Zellexan for reviewing, following, and favoriting my fic.**

**I would especially like to thank GoG ToXiC for his excellent review, and in response to your qualms about my fic, I say," Fear not citizen, the only thing you should be worried about is me getting lazy." XD Anyways, here is the References/Talking Back part of the AN yadda yadda yadda.**

**Talking Back: Shant Writes- Thanks for being the 70th reviewer, you have no idea how much this means to me :D I never thought this would happen TT TT I was so... on edge for this, thank you thank you thank you thank you good sir! I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic :D**

**Talon Du Couteau- You should.  
That was the point? You did, don't worry.  
No, you're just meeting people that can actually challenge you. You were only exposed to a small portion of the large amount of assassins in Valoran, sure you did well, but you still aren't the best.  
Yet...  
But he didn't?  
It would have.**

**pie6013- I got it from niyako66 on DeviantArt. The piece is called **_**Noxian Assassin **_**(I didn't get my inspiration for the previous title from this work of art).**

**xDGuardianExiledXx- Hmmm, I did mention that there were drugs involved... No, no new champion... I made references to existing champions in this chapter.**

**WingsofRequiem- Well, I'm glad I delivered in such a spectacular fashion :) Yeah, that's how I want to write a fight scene, and I'm glad I did it correctly. No, I mean, I don't see how you can explain a blink without magic, and Talon is most definitely not a magical. Same with Katarina's shunpo, I won't be including their abilities unless it is in a League match or if they are magical or if I can explain it, ex. Leona, Xerath, Lux etc. Hmmm, I wouldn't say that he would be able to, because Talon, although good, isn't really experienced. He's only fought assassins that were below his skill level, and only from his area (slums of Noxus), which narrows down the number of potential opponents by a lot. Basically, he hasn't had a lot of practice against real opponents (which is why he lost to the General), but don't worry, he'll get extremely good over time, on par with the General, and when paired with Katarina, it'll be a f*cking steel storm of death ;)Erm, that's your department I think?Yeah, it's just cooler I guess? I don't know, I just always imagined spell words to be spoken in Latin. This, of course, is only for some of the characters. Champions on the other hand, will be able to cast their abilities silently, in some special cases (Lux) when they use their ults they'll scream something.**

**Meep Triforce- Well I'm glad that I can deliver and satisfy your wants and needs :3 No, Talon won't die. That just wouldn't do, who would Katarina go out with then? Surely not that sword wielding oaf of a Demacian? (I'm kidding Kat/Garen lovers, don't come after me! Plox.) Yes, Cheriknikov was trying to kill Katarina, did I not make that part clear enough? Hmm, I should check it out… Why thank you, your compliments make me fill oh so warm and giddy inside XD**

**llamagod22- Why thank you :D**

**Donutknightz- Why thank you, I'm glad you enjoy it and hopefully I will be able to entertain you until this fic is finished (hopefully =.=).**

**mamba9524-** **Thank you for your reviews and support, it really means a lot to me as I am not really what I would consider to be a "great" writer, I think I'm more below-slightly above average D: But maybe I'm just super harsh... Anyways, I'm glad you like my writing, and combat writing is kinda of my specialty and is one of the aspects of writing that I enjoy the most. Out of all of my writing skills, I'm probably the best at that, but I would probably rate maybe 6/10 . Ok, enough of the pity party (I would greatly appreciate it if you kept complimenting me btw…hint hint :3 jk). If you keep those reviews rolling in I'll probably finish it, reviews are my breakfast, lunch, dinner, and my snacks in between. It's what keeps me running.**

**KotycDuCouteau- Oh it's fine, just review once in a while :PHmm, not so much romance actually XD Yes, he will eventually leave the League to go find the General... among other things. He'll drag Katarina along.**

**GoG ToXiC- Well, first off, I was really surprised to see how lengthy and in depth your review was. Most of my reviewers (and indeed, reviewers in general) leave one liners, which do their part, but I really want/need the analysis people like yourself give. For that I thank you.I feel honored that you can stand my writing, I constantly feel insecure about my own writing ability D: I try to keep the characters as close to canon as possible, otherwise the characters wouldn't be themselves and the fic would have no purpose. Yes, they'll become a little out of character, but I'll try and keep their personality intact overall. I just imagine that Talon and Katarina would hate each other, for numerous reasons. I'm going to use the fact that the General wants to make Talon his heir (or one of the three) to add even more fuel to the fire, but this will probably come into play much later. Why thank you, I think I just unconsciously included them, I don't actually plan much ahead except for the overall plot line D: I feel like I overdid Kataraina's part, as she seems really childish, but she'll mature as we go on with the fic.I don't really like it when characters in fics are all powerful, it just takes the fun out of the battle/fight scenes because the outcome is already determined. Also, I won't include Katarina's shunpo and Talon's cutthroat as a regular can't just blink, and I would consider them two of them non-magicals. Mages like Lux and Xerath (if they do make a cameo) will retain their powers that are displayed in game however (it would only make sense). Well I generally don't like OCs either, but for this fic there might be an abundance of them (Salazar, Kurine, the doctor, Cpt. Zane, etc. etc.).Not really, I still cringe when I read through my fic. I plan to edit it after I finish it though, so it shouldn't be such a big deal. Yes, it does seem to be a problem with fanfiction in general. It happens to be one of my biggest pep peeves. Well, when you're reading stuff in your head as opposed to out loud, you can skip over quite a few things .Yes, I have heard it before (personally I'm not so sure).Hmm, I suppose I should, didn't think that part through... Ah well, no harm , I do have a rather large amount of side stories in the fic, but I should be able to weave it all into the main plot line (hopefully) and when the General disappears it should lessen the amount of side stories considerably, if I do take the route I plan on taking. Huehue, I just wanted Talon/Katarian to be young and inexperienced, but have them reaching maturity during all these events. I was going to have a Garen/Katarina/Talon triangle, so I should revise Garen's/Darius' ages to a respectable 25 or thereabouts. So, for the rest of the fic, just pretend that they're 5 or so years younger than I have previously stated. I'll probably fall on my ass later on, but I'll do my best to interweave all of these back stories into one main plot line. I suppose I was trying to go for a realistic feeling as life is a plethora of stories rather than one (also why I have multiple POVs), but I think I should cut back on it in the future... The conspiracy theory has its place, it'll be the main conflict (aside from Katarina vs Talon) and it'll involve the main antagonists... I attribute the fact that the Katarina Talon aspect is being skewed by the fact that I'm including SO many POVs, but it should be lessened considerably when the General dies (or at least the meat of my fic will be based on Talon and Katarina's viewpoints).Well, I wouldn't go THAT far. As much as I appreciate your comment it only serves to inflate my already big head XD As I have stated, just keep up the support and I'll eventually find the resolve to finish this, and hopefully I'll be able to maintain your interest throughout it.**

**LadySpindle, I think you have a competitor for the Wall of Texts title…**

**References- Gragas**

**Singed**

**Ok, now that's over with, enjoy chapter 10 and please review :D I love them.**

* * *

**Thank you Lord of t3h ring for being my wonderful beta :3**

* * *

"You can't be serious," Arthur looked wide eyed at his king, his mouth open, resembling a goldfish," They- they can't just _leave_, that would throw away all of the progress we've made the past few years!"

"I'm afraid that's what they plan to do, Arthur. And to be truthful, what progress? If we made any progress you would have given them the benefit of the doubt, and we could have avoided the casualties and the border conflict."

"You will be punishing Garen Crownguard, yes?" asked another one of the seated delegates.

"He was only doing what he saw fit, and if I was in the same situation I might have done the same. After all, we can't disregard the fact that it was LeBlanc."

"But still, he acted rashly and caused a _League _investigation. If that prompt action against him, then at least it will appease the people."

King Jarvan the III glanced out of a window at the nearby town square, where a multitude of angry Demacian citizens were protesting the result of the investigation, which had seemingly ended in Noxus' favor even though the League had suspended the investigation upon the Grand General's announcement that they were leaving the League. The common fold were looking for someone to pin the blame on, a scapegoat. It was only fitting, Demacia stood for justice, and the Demacian people wanted to exact their revenge on the one responsible using the justice system. The King glanced back at his cabinet.

_No, _he thought sourly, _I can't just pin this on anyone in the cabinet. It would only cause more problems. _

He sighed and leaned back into his throne, kneading his wrinkled brow with his fingers.

"Very well, I have decided. He will issue a public apology, and then he will be given a punishment which will be decided at a later date. I myself will issue a public apology soon, and hopefully it will be enough to calm them down until Garen gives his. Now, what is the next matter of business."

"It is the Noxians, my King. They are accusing a Demacian trying to assassinate one of their Generals, General Du Couteau I believe."

"WHAT!?" Arthur jumped up, his chair flying backwards. "The Noxians accuse _us _of trying to assassinate one of _them_? Demacia would _never _resort to such _cowardly _methods! They try to incite war and they have the _gall _to accuse _us _of a low handed attempt to assassinate one of their leaders?"

"Well Arthur, we have tried it before," the King said drily, drumming his fingers on the armrest.

"But we have never tried it so soon after a global incident," the General spat vehemently, his hate for the Noxians clouding his mind," I demand that we take this matter to the League and-"

"They aren't accusing all of Demacia this time Arthur," Lintheul replied while rolling his eyes at his counterpart's antics," they believe that someone else hired him."

"What do they want Linthuel?"

"They want our police to cooperate with their investigators to determine who exactly hired him."

"That is all?"

"Yes."

"I'll allow it, it's bad enough that we have to deal with the border incident, we should do as much as possible to bring our public image back to where it was before. Agreed?"

The cabinet members nodded," Now, turning to the matters of Kalamanda. How are things there?"

"My King," Linthuel began as he unfurled a large map of the area," the Noxian military has transferred the 17th Legionnaires and around a hundred of the Death Knights to the Kalamanda area. Now that the League has no influence in their High Command, they are able to contest the area without League intervention."

"Dammit... Could they have possibly planned out the border incident, do you think? Everything just seems to have fallen in place for them." The King had always been an advocate of peace ever since the destruction of the First Rune War, but his old suspicions of Noxian intentions were returning, everything just seemed to be too convenient for the High Command.

Linthuel shook his head," No, the Ranger Quinn informed us that the Noxian High Command had been at first reluctant to move to the border, as they were highly suspicious of LeBlanc's intentions and wary of starting another Rune War."

"Perhaps they are, but the skirmish gave Noxus good reason to leave the League so that they can operate freely without the constraints of being under League jurisdiction. They can now wage war freely without the League cracking down on them."

"Surely the League will intervene if it is all out war!"

"No, they won't. The amount of magical activity that took place during the Rune War makes it practically impossible for magicals as powerful as the Summoners to intervene, such large scale magical activity will rip the continent apart..."

"Surely the Noxians won't risk an all out war with us, even without magic."

"You never know what those power hungry sadists might do..."

"But there is _nothing _they can gain by using military force in the area, the area is a basin and the _only _exits are controlled by our forces!"

"But they have the _Death Knights_, they will rip the forces there a new asshole. The _only _way we're going to be able to avert the threat is if we send in _more _soldiers. My liege, I must ask that you send your son Jarvan and a detachment of our most elite troops with him to reinforce our garrison at the Kalamanda Basin."

The King rubbed his forehead as he tried to think of a more peaceful alternative. He could bring the subject to the League's attention the next day they tried to resolve the border incident, but considering the Grand General's blatant disregard for the League's authority and its ability to keep the peace...

"Very well," he sighed, accepting the only possible course of action, however drastic it might be," the Kalamandan delegates are still here, yes?"

"Yes, they are."

"Good, send for them. Arthur, go inform my son that he is to take the Royal Guard and the Winged Hussars to the Kalamanda Basin. I wish we wouldn't have to do so, but I'm afraid this is the only course of action that can be used to prevent more bloodshed."

* * *

The General exited his carriage and handed his cloak to a nearby servant.

"Good afternoon General," Captain Zane greeted him," you look ghastly."

The General tried to put on a cheery appearance, but was betrayed by his weary eyes," I don't look half as bad as you do."

It was true; the Captain had been on sick leave for the past several days, having caught a viral infection. His skin was a shade paler than it was originally, and his posture made his exhaustion more pronounced.

He waved away his superior's concern," It is no matter. I live to serve."

Shaking his head at his subordinate's stubbornness he asked," And how is my daughter?"

"She is recovering quickly; the nurse attributes it to her loathing of being pampered," the Captain spoke in a lighthearted tone.

At that the General smiled a genuine smile unmarred by his condition. That smile was short lived as his turned to grimmer matters," How is Talon?"

The Captain matched his charge's attitude.

"He is..." the Captain paused to consider how it would be best to approach the subject," not doing as well as your daughter, my Lord."

"What did the doctor say of his condition?"

"He said that it was dire, and that if we didn't soon use magic to help… ease his situation, he would die within a day or two."

"Dammit..."

The General suddenly felt all of the days strain and tension physically fall onto his shoulders as he considered how to go about keeping Talon alive.

"I suppose we must do what must be done. See who you can find, and bring them back immediately."

"Of course sir."

The General nodded and began to make his way up the steps.

"Oh wait, General, I forgot to mention something."

"Yes? What is it?"

"The Grand General sir. He reassigned his personal doctor to come here and visit Talon."

"Did he now? I suppose it's something I should have expected from his foolishness."

"He has been recovering at a quicker pace since the last time you saw him, and insisted that he come here to visit the boy. He also asked that you send him a report of the assassination attempt and Talon's health, will you be visiting him?"

"I'm required so I suppose I will," the General sighed," but first I would like to check on the damages. Is that all Zane?"

"Yes, General."

The General let a weak smile appear before he nodded to his subordinate," Best be on your way then."

* * *

Black.

That was all he could see in every direction. Just a black fog that clouded his vision, denying him the sense of sight. It frightened him really, not being able to see anything. It meant that he was blind to the world around him, unable to use his primary sense. It meant that he was vulnerable, helpless against attack, unable to defend himself or his… his what? What were they to his? His business partners? No, they weren't that formal. His employers? Somewhat, but that wasn't it. His _family_? ...No definitely not, no matter how much he wished for it, they weren't his family... Or were they? Or rather, was _he _a family member?

He really didn't know what they were to him. These past couple of days? hours? minutes? he had felt more emotions than he had felt in his entire _life_.

Then there was this... this _void _that he felt in his chest, an aching sensation, a feeling of emptiness, of meaninglessness. He had always felt this empty void in his chest that longed to be filled, he had remembered that it constantly badgered him. He would sometimes be able to shrug off the feeling, but it would always, _always _return. It was the single constant in his life. He really didn't know what it wanted to be filled _with _exactly, but he knew that it just ached constantly.

He had tried to purge the unexplainable discontent in his heart through any method he could, but he still felt the aching need for _something_. Something he didn't know about. Something he never had. Something he hadn't experienced.

He had tentatively thought that the need, the _pull _was the need for family, for belonging, for love. But he had banished the idea almost immediately, using a few choice curse words to bring himself back into line.

He was a street rat. An orphan. A thief. A killer. He was strong, and he didn't need a pathetic, mewling follower. He didn't feel, he didn't need any human companionship; he really didn't _need _anything except for the most basic of necessities required for him to live.

That was when he had met Kavyn. Needless to say they were an _odd _pair. To begin with the list of differences between the two, Talon was a hard boiled killer and Kavyn was more… enthusiastic? No, no one was that happy about living in the slums… He was more… optimistic than his companion.

Yes, that was it. Even though he was still rather apprehensive, he still possessed a level of optimism that no one else on the streets had. It was irritating, enraging even. His bright outlook on life compared to the bleary dankness of the slums compelled Talon to throttle his "friend" while pointing out every hardship they had to endure, and he even had the urge to shove a dagger between his shoulder blades, showing him why exactly why life was so hard for them, why optimism wasn't an ideal trait.

But he didn't. He had an iron rule over his own will, even then. He had suppressed every desire, every twitch. He had attributed it to his iron control over his emotions, but there was something else, something more subtle that was restraining him. But his patience had its limits. It finally came to a head when his partner in failed crime managed to botch up several thefts in a row, bringing their already poor nutrition to near death levels. Then the fool had tried to alleviate his anger by producing two _useless _daggers, considering them worthy of killing even the smallest of rats.

His disgust and hate had boiled over then, and he had shoved a blade into his body, relishing his shocked features.

He had revealed his contempt for him then, knowing him just how much he utterly _abhorred _him. He had watched him die, slowly bleeding out. He had even then tried to see the bright side of things, painfully managing to let out a playful smile and a," Well maybe you'll be better off without me."

If had said it in _any _other manner he would have agreed with him wholeheartedly, and then maybe he would have let him die in peace.

But no, it infuriated him. He had leapt up and began to brutally stomp on his former partner's face, determined to wipe that maddening smirk from his face. His scantily clad feet were bathed in his blood after that, and perhaps even with brain matter.

He had walked out into the streets, his face not betraying anything as people did a double take when they saw him, some had even threw up. It should have pleased him, how he had dispatched his weakness. But something inside of his despaired at the loss of his only companion, part of him burned with self-hate.

Like he usually did he callously shrugged off his concerns, cursing himself for being an idiot, a fool, a weak minded, fainthearted, weakling. Ever since then he had avoided human contact unless it was absolutely necessary or unavoidable, isolating himself, hardening himself.

He didn't need relationships, it only weighed you down, gave you one more thing to worry about. It made you soft, indecisive, unwilling to deliver the final, critical blow.

So he felt confused. Confused about why he had lost to the General.

The General, but Talon's definition of weak, should have lost to him. Hell, he should have died _years _ago at the hands of one of his innumerable assassins. But he didn't. Why? What gave him strength? He was an expert swordsman to be sure, but he was growing old, he was failing. And yet, in their duel he had showed vigor and power that even Talon didn't match.

So he hummed and hawed, mulling over the situation by himself in the darkness.

_Why was- is he strong? By all rights I should have obliterated his aging ass… _

His thoughts took a new turn as the darkness around him began to shift and swirl, becoming an image of the Du Couteau mansion at night.

_It is the assassination attempt_.

He relived every moment, every sensation, every emotion that coursed through him as he crept around the expansive building. As opposed to how he usually felt when a confrontation was inevitable, he felt terrified and scared.

Why? Why was he afraid? His opponent had turned out to be quite formidable in the end, but still, he shouldn't be afraid of death. It would only mean that he would be set free of this world and its clutches…

Or maybe… maybe it wasn't a fear of his mortality… maybe it was a fear of… failure?

_But of what failure? In the end, I fail no one but myself, and if I do, it is right for the strong prevail over the weak._

The question irked him; he really didn't know why he was frightened, apprehensive, afraid of failure.

Then a thought came to him, _Am I afraid of failure because… it would mean that… that the General would die? _

He disliked most of the household. Cassiopeia was decent, but was something of a nuisance. Katarina hated him with a burning passion, she caused him to feel a depth of emotions that even Kavyn didn't evoke. He didn't really care for her, the pampered rat, the self-righteous bitch. She practically _exuded _arrogance. Captain Zane he didn't really care for, he disliked him from the beginning. He hadn't done _anything _to provoke his distrust and yet the officer looked down upon him, assuming that just because he was "one of the commoners" that he was automatically untrustworthy.

The General however… he was a different matter altogether. He had accepted him without question, he was the one who offered Talon a chance at a life that he had never had and had entrusted Talon with his wellbeing and that of his daughters…

He realized then that even though he had isolated himself from any friendly contact, had become so self-centered, focusing only on his own needs, and became a cold blooded killer, he still _longed _for friendly contact.

He hadn't ever known who his parents were, he just knew that he was alone in the world and that it was cold and unforgiving. Thus he grew up as cold hearted and cold blooded as he, believing that any show of affection or showing any semblance of being _human _was a sign of weakness, a death mark.

The General was the first person in _years _that didn't regard him with hostility or outright disgust. Yes, they had dueled, but he was the first person to duel him without the specific intention of killing him. He had merely wanted to introduce himself and gain his respect in the only manner he could, through a duel.

The General was a warm, kind hearted man, loving and caring. The only such person in his life. He had clothed, fed, and took care of Talon, and even though it had only been days since they had first met, he had already become a major force in Talon's life, perhaps even eclipsing Talon's own instincts for survival.

He suddenly realized that he actually felt loyal to him, he had given his loyalty in the form of an oath before, but he had meant it merely as a token of respect. He had never realized that he had subconsciously meant it, with all of his heart, as cliché as that might be. He realized that he felt genuine _affection _for him, he was the only person that Talon would willingly lay down his life for. He was afraid that night for fear of failing him, for letting him down, for disappointing him.

_I suppose humans really do seek creature comforts._

But if what he was seeking for was to respect, to be treated like an equal, why didn't he feel this way when he had won his hard earned respect on the street using his blade? The killing was satisfying, the way the others feared him even more so, but it never gave him the satisfaction that, that _this _gave him.

_Why? Why? Why am I feeling this way? Why the hell can't I be an emotionless automaton? Why can't I? _

"Because, everyone longs for belonging to some extent. Even you, Talon."

He heard the General's voice ghost through his mind, the tendrils of warmth and light briefly touching him, comparable to the sun.

Suddenly, the cold hearted part of Talon asserted its dominance, _Why the hell am I thinking about this? I only need the respect that I can gain using my blade!_ Then he was cast back into the black void that was currently devouring him bit by bit.

He was confused as to where he was, and what had just happened. Inky blackness surrounded him. It wasn't the blackness that we call night, as even night has some light, this was true blackness. True darkness. There was no light source. No warmth. No one else. Just him.

_Is this how I want to spend the rest of my life? _The thought came suddenly to him. It wasn't appealing. The utter despair and loneliness he felt here was… so… There were no words to describe the _anguish _and the _desolation _that was ripping through his being.

Confusion was among the foremost of his emotions.

Why was he questioning himself? He had _always _lived like this, in even worse places and he had emerged from the depths of hell intact... Why?

* * *

"So? How is he?"

"He is recovering quickly, quicker than anyone else would with such wounds."

"Any idea why?"

"No, I do not. But I suspect it might have to do with something he's been dreaming about…"

"Come now, I didn't take you to be one of those superstitious fools Falron."

"No, I am absolutely _certain _that his quick recovery has something to do with what he's been dreaming about."

"Well, you administered the truth serum, surely you got _something _about his thoughts."

"Unfortunately I didn't. He was just muttering nonsensical gibberish. There was neither rhyme nor reason to anything that came out of his lips."

"Well, what _did _he say, then?"

"How am I supposed to know? It was,' Why' then it was,' Kavyn,' and a number of other things. None Nothing he says fits together to make a clear picture of what he is dreaming about. I would have gotten more, perhaps enough to get a picture of his mind, but he suddenly just shut up."

"They will be disappointed with these results."

"Might I remind you that _you _came up with your _brilliant _idea to administer him the truth serum while he was asleep? How in hell was he supposed to understand a single thing we asked him?"

"It was a theory, you're the one who put it into practice."

"_You _were the one who _insisted _on going through with your 'theory.'"

"Never mind that, it's behind us now… Does the Dark Lady still want us to follow through on the original plan?"

"Yes, why would there be a change in plans?"

"I just feel like she doesn't know what she's dealing with… She has no idea how capable this boy is."

"And yet you thought that that _gypsy _of all people would be able to take him down?"

"I _thought _that he would have been drugged."

"You could have still called it off!"

"I had the Dark Lady breathing down my neck Falron, you can't just call off an operation when she's practically holding a knife to your neck!"

"We don't have time for this, all that matters is that we extract the information, and then using the information determine whether or not we should neutralize the boy, and this time we do it ourselves, without taking any chances."

* * *

Katarina burned with rage as she lay in her hospital cot. She lay on her side, staring at the object of her hate, and god forbid, her fear. Talon.

The sound of his voice make her recoil in disgust and hate. Oh how she hated him. At first, it had been because her Father had taken in such a low life, it caused questions to be asked, questions she wasn't comfortable with.

As if having her Father pamper such scum wasn't bad enough, it seemed that Cassiopeia was quite taken with him. She had visited dog no less than _seven _times in the last three hours, inquiring about his health, when he would be healthy enough move, and if he would _live_. She had been distraught over his condition, even going so far as to shed _tears _and hug his immobile form against her chest, whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

At first Katarina had thought them to be just for show, but realizing that she just _wanted _it to be for show, and that she actually was crying over the good for nothing boy, she had snarled and turned away from the revolting spectacle unfolding before her.

When her asinine sister had left, she had turned back over onto her side and stared with undisguised malice and hate at her male counterpart. She hated him, oh how she hated him. Not only just because the rest of her family seemed to have fallen in love with him overnight, but because he was _excellent_.

Katarina had always been a promising assassin, she always outpaced the tutors her Father hired, and even at times surprised her Father. She was to be one of the, if not the greatest assassins Noxus would be field, she would be the pride of her nation and bring glory to her family.

Then this little _upstart _had suddenly popped up into her life out of nowhere, to tutor _her_? She hadn't even heard of 'the Blade's Shadow' before. Sure, she had seen him in action at the bakery, but those mercs were doing a half-assed job of it, she was confident that should could take them all on at once.

She had thought herself superior to him, confident in her years of experience, training, and hell, her lineage, chock full of prestigious assassins, Supreme Commanders and High Generals. After her Father brought Talon into the family, she did a little research on him, uncomfortable with the idea that she knew nothing about his skill. She had found out that his abilities were formidable, but she had placed his abilities at a '3' and hers at a '7' simply because of her bloodline and her social standing.

But none of that mattered when they had first dueled. She had been acting on instinct and her anger, and dove headfirst into the fight relying on her confidence in her blood line and her "experience." Katarina had expected to destroy her opponent within the first few minutes of the fight, but the fight had dragged on for well over an hour, pushing both participants to their limits, draining them of all their energy.

He had performed well, much better than she had anticipated. She had found herself at his mercy multiple times, and had escaped either through pure luck or just through sheer acrobatic skill and feminine flexibility. Talon's performance, while stellar, only served to stoke the fires of Katarina's anger. She was angered by the fact that a sniveling _street rat _could be her equal in an art she took _years _to perfect while he only had been an "assassin" for a few years at the most. The only reason she hadn't just shoved her prized blades into his throat that day was because she had inflicted a serious chest wound upon him, sating her need to spill his blood.

Then her Father had forced them to work together, during which she managed to interact with him somewhat civilly. The rivalry was still ongoing, but instead of it breaking out into a physical fight, it was a clash of skill, brainpower, and words. Her anger, although not visible, was still festering underneath the surface of her smooth skin, reaching dangerous levels every time he bested her in an area she was particularly sure that she was going to win. She had only just managed to restrain the compulsion to whip out her blades and charge at him.

Of course, as if all those reasons to hate him weren't enough, she discovered that she felt a... secondary emotion around him. Fear. She really didn't fear anyone, not even her Father. Yes, the General could be a little harsh, but it wasn't something to _fear_, it was just something to be careful about. She didn't fear Captain Zane, birdman Swain, her trainers, or even her half snake sister. So it irritated her to end that Talon, a boy that she had only known for _days _had managed to bring her prideful, fearless self into a quaking mush just by entering the room.

She couldn't understand the sudden realization until they had started to dance. She had been quite snappy and vicious throughout the whole session, trying to goad him into a fight, trying to provoke him into showing emotion, no matter how fiery it may be. That was when she realized why he unnerved her, it was because he was so... bleak, dead, metallic, _alien_. Like the famed Steam Golem she had seen a few years back. Blitzcrank was sentient, capable of thoughts and actions without being controlled. So, essentially they had a hunk of metal with a brain, which in and of itself wasn't all that terrifying. What made Blitzcrank so frightening was his lack of humanity, his lack of emotions. He was cold and calculating, each of his moves were meticulously thought out, every variable taken into account, every outcome considered. He didn't feel anything for anyone, he only acted out of self-preservation.

At first, she had thought Talon as scary as Blitzcrank. But now, she feared him more than she had the metal giant. Talon was unpredictable, unreadable. He didn't harbor any positive feelings for her, she had been nothing but a bitch to him ever since he had arrived, and yet he had willingly risked his life for her. He was even more unnerving than the Steam Golem, at least Biltzcrank was predictable in that he would fight to stay active...

Her hate began to boil again, she hated that she couldn't understand him, that she feared him, that he was her equal and even her better in some cases. She hated everything about him. Oh how she hated him.

* * *

The General watched the military police crawl all around his house, searching for clues, any clues. So far they had turned up empty handed. They had been searching the manor for the better part of the day, and had only recovered Cheriknikov's body which was a splatter of flailing limbs and bodily fluids. Even then the body had mysteriously disappeared, perhaps the runes had something to do with it?

The General drank from the flask of cool water an attendant handed to him," Thank you," he said gratefully, to which the servant bowed and left the crime scene.

_Damn I'm getting too old to do this crap anymore._

Needless to say, the investigation so far had turned out to be a colossal failure, not because of the incompetence of the military police's investigators (they were quite good actually), but because not a single _shred _of evidence was left.

The General had a sneaking suspicion that the Black Rose was involved, but the idea seemed to be contradictory. The Black Rose was a more subtle organization than this, they didn't conduct assassinations and they didn't incite border skirmishes. This didn't fit their profile, they were _never _this public when they were trying to set a plan into motion, everything they had previously known about the Black Rose was that they were prone to achieving their agendas through political maneuvering or subtly influencing the affairs of the elite.

_So either the Black Rose is getting greedy and antsy, which is highly unlikely or... they are under new leadership... But LeBlanc is still alive? How does she fit into the picture then? _

His pondering was interrupted when a nearby investigator shook him.

"General Du Couteau, we have found something of interest."

"Oh?"

"Yes, you do recall that most of your personal guard was drugged, yes?"

The General signaled that he did," Well it appears that the same person helped the assassin infiltrate the estate."

"How do you know that it was the same person?"

"We managed to isolate the compound used to drug your guards from their food and drink, and in it we found a blackish residue. We found the same substance in the secret exit-"

"I'm sorry, did you just say, secret exit? I wasn't aware that there was a secret exit that was installed here already, I had only placed the order the day before!"

The investigator adjusted his lapel and swallowed," We were under the pretense that you knew about it..." The General glare at him and the investigator hurriedly continued," Well it would appear that... you have a traitor among the ranks of your soldiers, or your servants."

"Well that much is obvious."

"The secret... entrance seems to have been installed recently, as recently as two or three days ago."

"How did the patrolling soldiers not notice? Surely they would have heard the excavation, or at least hear the echo as they stepped on it."

The investigator shrugged," We don't know how your guards didn't notice it, but we suspect that magic was involved. The Betrayor or his accomplices could have cast a spell over the area to keep it from being noticed. We have support for this theory as well, we found signs of a relatively powerful spell being cast, what the spell actually was we don't know."

The General sighed, then nodded," Did you find anything else?"

"Yes, the bodies of all your missing Praetorians that were supposed to be on patrol."

"What? Where were the- oh. The secret entrance?"

The investigator nodded.

"Did you find anything else? Specifically, anything about the motives of the assassin, or of his identity?"

"Well, there are no clear motives as of yet. The Demacians are proving to be quite cooperative in this investigation," the investigator smirked," your daughter's testimony has helped moved that part of the investigation along quite nicely."

Growing serious once again he continued," The Demacians are denying any involvement in the assassination attempt, and I for one believe them. I am almost fully convinced that someone else ordered the hit. We looked into his connections and found nothing, so the Head of the MP Division won't allow me to investigate my hunch, but I would advise you to keep your cards close to your chest. As for his identity… we found nothing but theses blades and this skull mask."

The investigator handed the items to the General, who examined them with narrowed eyes. Finally looking back at the investigator he said," Thank you, you've been a great help."

"It was my pleasure, General."

The senior investigator stuck out his hand, which the General shook with a vigor he hadn't displayed all day.

_This almost confirms the Black Rose's involvement. I suppose it's time for me to snoop around and see what exactly they're trying to do. _

**Not the most action packed of my chapters thus far (but it is my longest), but hopefully one of the more intriguing? Thank you for taking the time to read my fic, and please review. You really don't know how much it means to me (unless you write fics of your own), and it helps motivate me so… It's your loss? :D**

**Epic Music: **watch?v=YJm6b-o2pTM&list=FL7Jz0xQxLau1Na50K-7g2sg&index=7 **The art may or may not be from Tom Clancy's End War.**

watch?v=KjHSEzoMrSI&list=FL7Jz0xQxLau1Na50K-7g2sg&index=4 **Arthas Menthil ladies and gentlemen, the baddest of the bad :3 Also leader of the Death Knights XD Can you not feel the awesome oozing off of him? It makes the music just that much better XD**

watch?v=dJ-QLl5qjLg&list=FL7Jz0xQxLau1Na50K-7g2sg&index=14 **Archangel Tyrael from Diablo. Pretty awesome looking dude, no? Now if only he could meet up with Kayle... Or maybe this could be the next Champion… Riot…?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the long update time, but I was alphaing/betaing for TalonIbnLaAhad and his Talon/Kat fic, WingsofRequiem and his Talon/Kat fic, and for another undisclosed person and their****Talon/Kat fic that has yet to be posted. Adding to that, I was feeling a bit burnt out and tired D: It's kind of my fault as I released so many chapter in such a short amount of time, updates being separated by mere days. Finally, I was taking a ride on the nostalgia train and was busy spending time with all my Blizzard games, reliving key points in my childhood… *sigh* So anyays, I will be taking a break. Don't worry, it's not going to be that long (hopefully), 1-2 weeks at the most. Unless something else comes up, I will be gone for that period of time. You guys will be fine, right? During my leave from this fic I might post other one-shots, but I'll talk about that later. Anyways, as is my custom, I would like to thank Packageman, TheSilentDemon, Pillo231, Nezir, Randomly Random Randomness, Ineptclutch, sathalina254, CommanderCats, Skyshattered, Atacarme, xcaliber234, Zellexan, LadySpindle, Talon Du Couteau, xDGuardianExiledXx, Meep Triforce, TalonIbnLaAhad, KotyDuCouteau, WingsofRequiem, and mamba9524 for following, reviewing, and favoriting my fic. Apparently my fic is popular? I'm about to hit 10k views and my fic maintained at least 100+ views per day in my absence O.O Anyways, I went back and added some stuff into Chapters 9 and 10 which will tie into stuff in this Chapter, so you can go back and read those chapters if you would want to. Finally, thank you TalonIbnLaAhad and WingsofRequiem for acknowledging me in their fics. **

**Reference: I don't know if anyone caught this, but the final curse Cheriknikov cast was green, kind of like the AK curse from Harry Potter. And if you look up the phrase, "mors omnibus" means "death to all." I know it's kind of late, but I didn't include it last chapter.**

**Talking Back: xcaliber23- I'm glad you liked it :D **

**LadySpindle- ****Well, we'll see how it pans out. He may be a one time reviewer though so...****That was what I was going for. It reminded me of a friend that has a similar facial expression when he's shocked. Plus, goldfish just look derpy their open mouths and wide eyes XD Well, as they say, ** rolls downhill.****Yes, I'm gradually working my way towards Kalamanda, and then from there an explosion of events will occur :3 No, I don't get your reference. Mostly because I never watched Avatar o.O****Yes, yes you have. Don't worry, I will probably include that Cassiopeia flashback soon. Yes, pacing is everything.****Hahahaha, I would expect the Black Rose members to try and extract information while he was helpless. It's just so them, don't you think? Yes, yes they are. Yeah, they would, but I just think that the majority of them would be comfortable with how their defenses are, and there is the point that they're busy with Demacia and the League. More importantly, the Black Rose has only just become a suspect. Regarding Darkwill, he spends too much of his energy trying to get back into Noxian politics, and his doctor probably diverts him from delving into the Black Rose organization too much etc. etc. Basically, with global events and all the chaos that they and the Black Rose's agents are going and are causing, everyone is kind of... busy.****Yay, that part was kind of hard to do as I just felt weird doing it. I'm not sure what it was but I felt like I was doing something wrong. Good to know it came out okay! Yeah, I'm going to do more Cassiopeia Talon interactions to heighten the Katarina vs Cassiopeia feud.****If you are referring to that he will disappear soon, no he will not, he won't be missing for at least a couple of chapters :P****Inside Swain's head," Soon..."****Huehuehuehuehue XD****Yes, I just feel like the JOJ would be more Pro-Demacia and Anti-Noxus rather than the other way around.****Yerp, I want to have Garen have his first meeting with Katarina/Talon here (btw I changed his age to like 25, having a 30 year old Garen wasn't appealing). I will probably also include Talon dueling Keiran, Garen, and perhaps Sir Laurent during the ball, like a showcase of his powers.****Well it wasn't my longest chapter by much, only by about 1000 words. Yeah! Epic/Trailer music is always great to listen to :3 Yes, yes we do. It would be cool if Riot included a Tyrael inspired champion, but then again, a lot of their champions are already inspired by other champs :P Well I feel honored that you have placed your trust in me, however misplaced and unfounded it may be. Well, knowledge of the lore does help in this case, if I do stick closely to it, but I have already deviated from the League Lore a bit so... I wouldn't count on it. Good way to get a feel for the plot. Yes it probably will be. Thank you! Have I mentioned how much of a wonderful reviewer you are?****I'd prefer tea...**

**Talon Du Couteau- ell you weren't so...****Yes, she does. Really? Sucks to have the woman you love hate your guts. Well, it helps :D****You'll get action soon enough :3**

**xDGuardianExiledXx- ****Talon won't die. Yet. Maybe. But for sure not now ;) Eh, it really is hate though D: Yay! I thought that this was as good a spot as any to have my characters pause and reflect on themselves. Working on it :D**

**Meep Triforce- Thanks! Oh really? Well hopefully I can help you with that… Aww shucks, really? I always thought of myself as average… I suppose it's the plot? Well this chapter doesn't have much action either though so hopefully you still find it enjoyable. Yay!**

**TalonIbnLaAhad- Why thank you :D It's okay, just make sure to review ;) Hmm, I do manage to work rather quickly, my updates are about 3 days, but it's because I have literally NOTHING else to do, so I can spend practically all day working on an update ;) Ah, so that's why you haven't been seen or heard of for the past couple of weeks(?). Well, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait XD Yerp, I'm trying to include some political aspects in the fic, but I'm afraid I'm rather inept as I have no clue about what happens in the White House. I don't even have a rudimentary idea of what politics IS, but you'll have to excuse my political ineptitude due to the fact that I'm a 15 year old male :P The shitstorm will grow bigger I assure you, just you wit ;) Yes, I have to include more Talon/Katarina, as they are supposed to be the main characters. I'm afraid I got a little carried away with my fic, but I'll try and restrain myself whenever the opportunity to run rampant arises. Yeah, I know, I'll be sprinkling in other POVs every now and then once I reach a certain point in the fic. You are talking about the assassination? That's what I'm assuming. Yeah, I think that Talon would have established an unconscious affection for the General rather quickly, it just makes sense to me. But then again, one can't just abandon two decades worth of instincts and tradition... Ah well. Yeah, I figured that would be a major reason Talon would be isolated from everyone else, especially from Katarina who grew up in a fairly loving household (at least before all the crap that hit them happened). Eh, most people don't listen to trailer/epic music, just spreading my love, doing my part to rid the world of the parasites known as Lil Wayne and Justin Bieber XD Hmm, I think you'd be resurrected. I never really specifically mentioned it, I said it was a possibility, but I never confirmed it. I'm still debating on whether I should keep him alive or not, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Thank you for catching my mistake, I need all the help I can get, plox :3 It's okay, it happens to the best of us. Updates galore XD**

**KotycDuCouteau- Why thank you :D****I try :]****No, I will not have the Crimson Elite (we only know two characters in the organization thus far) or Riven involved. Why do you ask?****Thank you, hopefully we will reach the 100 review mark soon :D Although I would greatly appreciate if a greater diversity of people would review, only about 1/8 of my followers/favoriters review regularly D:**

**TheSilentDemon- Thank you, although I've heard that a lot before, it just means so much to hear it :D Hmm from the forums? Another one I see… Yes, I kind of dropped hints of it throughout the story, but they're not really… visible? It's one of those things where you have to read in between the lines and such etc. etc. Besides, Katarina hates Talon's guts so… Yes, I do. Well it does help set up the rest of the story, and political officials tend to overstay their welcome, no? Something like both, as both are interconnected. There is no real main character until later in the story, and even then the viewpoint will probably change between 2-3 people. Well, everything is tied into the plot in one way or another. It's fine, I really love people like you :3 3 **

**WingsofRequiem- You write just fine, I'm just a windbag that happens to write decently -.- Well, detail helps color and flesh out the world, so... What can I say? Detail makes a difference. Yes, I really wanted to create that aspect where I could draw in the reader so they could kind of see what was going on in the character's mind. I think I've been doing ok in that aspect, but it's nice to know that I'm doing fine with it. Why thank you XD****Hmm, they'll probably all be Noxians/Demacians, but I probably will include a little smack talk so... But it would depend on what the prize is? :3****Yeah, I probably should include some twists... I'm just not sure where/when/how I'm going to incorporate them. I really should have thought out my fic in more detail before posting it XD My bad I suppose...****As I said before, I think that's your department (although I think I'll have to include it anyways seeing that Cassiopeia likes Talon)?****Hmm, I'll make sure to look into that. But it may be that I've been including a lot of characters in the convos (you're talking about the Demacian one, yes?) without specifying who is actually talking. But you can usually tell who's talking by the content of their spiel.**

**mamba9524- Yerp, I have some interesting things planned out, and some one-liners that Talon will whip out when he's kicking ass :3 Eventually she will, after all, love can come out of hate. It will be difficult for Talon as he tried to live an apathetic life for pretty much all 20ish years of his life, you can't just throw away two decades of habit. Daaw, thank you :D**

* * *

**Thank you LadySpindle for providing me some feminine insight, WingsofRequiem for helping me out in a pinch, and the ever so wonderful Lord of t3h ring for being my beta. Cheers :3 **

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**Enjoy the update!**

* * *

Cheriknikov awoke with a gasp, his body cold and shivering, his breath forming a cloud of condensation as it drifted away.

_What the hell? Where am I? _Cheriknikov looked to his sides, examining the cold metal chains that were holding him down.

_The last thing I remember is… falling… After being tackled… by that bastard of a child. The one time I fail a contract, and it's because of a child half my age. _

Cheriknikov steadily grew angrier and angrier, as he was isolated, left to brood. He had been the best of his kind, the best assassin among the gypsies. He had completed numerous assassinations without being spotted, without being confronted. He. Was. The. Cheriknikov. Now that he had failed a contract, and all because of a child no less, that was all lost. His perfect record, all because of one measly street boy. This was all that he had, all that he had known since a little boy. This was his life.

He snarled, but it quickly turned into yelping. Pain racked his body, and he glanced downwards at his mangled body, cuts, bruises, open wounds, and burnt skin was everywhere.

He hissed as he tried to move his arms. _It would appear that I have several broken bones. I suppose they have captured me and left me in this godforsaken pit to slowly go insane. They'll watch me slowly lose control of my body, of my mind, and then, my life. Let them, life has no meaning…_

He slumped against the table that held him down, lost in his thoughts. _My only regret is that I can't get my hands around his scrawny little neck. How I wish I could wring his pitiful life from his body. _

"I see you've awakened," a soft voice greeted his ears.

Cheriknikov perked up and struggled to answer," Who's there? If it's you you fucking brat I'll-"

"No, you haven't been captured Cheriknikov." LeBlanc sauntered out of the shadows; still dressed in the skimpy outfit she called a "suit." Not that Cheriknikov minded, quite the opposite in fact. But confusion overrode his perverted mindset as he struggled to understand what happened.

"What? How am I here?" he rasped.

LeBlanc suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at his idiocy," You're back at Black Rose headquarters Cheriknikov. When you failed in your mission our informant sent a messenger to us, and we teleported you out of there."

"You placed a rune on me without my _explicit_ permission?"

LeBlanc shrugged indifferently," We take a few liberties with our… prisoners."

"Prisoners?" Cheriknikov echoed, suddenly feeling a bit suspicious of _why _LeBlanc had actually recalled him.

"Yes, you see. Since you have failed in your mission, you've become a… liability, a loose end if you will."

"You mean to kill me," Cheriknikov said bluntly.

Rage and hopelessness flooded his being again.

"You bitch…" Venom dripped from every word.

"I thought you were more capable than that." LeBlanc shook her head," I put up with your perversion because I thought you'd be able to complete the task. But, as it turns out, I was wrong. Therefore, I must erase this… blot from my record." Leblanc smirked," It wouldn't do for the people to know that their ruler was wrong, now would it?"

LeBlanc raised her staff and pointed it at his chest," It has been nice working with you."

Cheriknikov just glared back at her in response.

LeBlanc fired off her spell, and watched as Cheriknikov's body jerked violently, then stilled, and dropped back onto the platform.

"Perverted bastard," her lip curled into a snarl," Dispose of the trash."

* * *

King Jarvan the IV stared at the letter unblinkingly. He set the letter aside, pondering what the contents of the letter meant. It had said that the Noxians wanted to invite the King of Demacia, his wife, his son, a the cabinet, and _all _of Demacia's League champions along with their families to a _ball _held in Noxus. The letter had stated that if the King was… uncomfortable with the arrangements, they could relocate the ball to a more suitable area, one of _his _choice.

In his experience, the Noxians had _never _invited _any _Demacians to a ball, nor to any party or meeting in fact. Pretty much the _only _contact the two nations had on a large scale were on the battlefields.

The King rubbed his wrinkled brow, in an effort to tone down the incoming headache. So much had happened in the space of a week that it hurt to think about it. And then there was the constant bickering and arguing that was going on in the cabinet. It was too much to bear sometimes.

The King drummed his gloved fingers on the gilded arm rest, glancing at the letter than sat on a wooden table. Making his decision, he reached for some paper and a quill, and began to compose his response to Grand General Boram Darkwill's invitation.

* * *

Cassiopeia stared at her Father, her gaze uncomprehending. Had he just said what she thought he said? Was he leaving once more?

Seeing her disbelief, the General rushed forwards, arms outstretched, trying to console his daughter.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean it like that, Cassiopeia."

He hugged her against his chest, but she was cold and unresponsive.

"I have to go, Cassiopeia. I was the one who proposed the mission."

"Asss if that makesss it any better." she snarled, pushing herself away from her Father's embrace. Pointing a clawed finger at him she hissed," You know, I alwaysss thought that you were a better man than thisss. I truly did. But now, I sssee that you're nothing more than a coward, running away from all hisss problems, leaving hisss children to fend for themssselvesss. You're dessspicable."

The General inwardly grimaced as his youngest daughter's tirade went on," You know, you've never been the sssame ever sssinccce mother died. You were ssso broken up over it; you threw yourssself into your work and never looked back. You didn't give on thought to your daughtersss, your own flessh and blood."

"Now hold on a minute-"

"NO!" she shrieked, utilizing her snake tail to rear herself up above her Father," I WILL NOT HOLD ON FOR A MINUTE! IT ISSS YOU WHO SSSSHOULD BE SSSTOPING TO THINK RIGHT NOW! YOU HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN HOME FOR A MONTH AND YOU'RE ALREADY LEAVING USSS AGAIN! LEAVING ME!"

Suddenly she collapsed, falling to the tiled floor. Sobbing she wrapped her tail around her body," Go. Go if you mussst. But don't ever come back."

Sighing in defeat, the General resigned himself to the fact that both of his daughter's now hated him, and then turned around. Seeing Captain Zane paused by the door, he looked the Captain in the eyes and nodded to him, gesturing to his crying daughter. The Captain nodded and mouthed," The mages are here."

Nodding, the General moved towards the Captain, cast one last glance back at his daughter who turned away from his gaze, and then closed the heavy wooden door, engulfing his child in darkness.

Making his way down the hall, every step he took seemed to add weight to his heart, slowing him down. All he wanted to do was race back down the hall and pour out his heart and fully explain himself to her, but there was no time. If he was to investigate the assassination attempt, it needed to be done _now _while the trail was still fresh.

Turning to the Captain he said," I trust that you will inform Katarina and Talon of these developments?"

"Yes sir, that I will."

"Good. Is my escort ready?"

"Yes sir. Would you like to know who they are?"

Waving his hand distractedly he said," It doesn't matter to me right now. I just need to get to the mages."

Reaching a set of double doors he paused, closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the door. Feeling a hand on his should he glanced backwards.

"Sir?" questioned the Captain.

"I'm just tired, Zane."

"Anyone would be in your situation, sir. I'm sure that no one else could have done better in your place. It's all for the best after all."

"But why does it have to be so _difficult_?"

"Nothing in life is ever easy, sir."

"I suppose."

The General took a moment to look upwards at the family crest that was situated over the door. The crimson falcon holding the banner.

_Potestas. Strength. Give me strength. I am in dire need of it. _

The General then dropped his gaze back down to eye level, straightened his shoulders, and then opened the doors.

A group of seven medical wizards and witches stood up to greet him. They were clothed in black robes lined with crimson and gold. The eldest one sported a white goatee and had piercing blue-gray eyes. He extended his hand and spoke," I am Echis, the leader of this group. Your subordinate has already informed us of the situation. Could you please lead us to the infirmary so that we may inspect the patient?"

The General gestured towards a door," Follow me."

Taking quick, purposeful strides he made his way to the door. Turning back over his shoulder he spoke to the mages," I'm afraid that you will have to be extremely delicate with him. He has sustained great injuries, and we've been keeping him a medically induced coma ever since we stumbled upon his body."

Echis nodded grimly," You have done well so far. Have you administered the patient any drugs?"

"You will have to ask the doctor that, I haven't been as up to date with his condition as I have to leave. Military business."

"Ah, well it is to be expected."

Upon reaching the infirmary the General rapped his knuckles against the door. The heavy wooden door opened and the doctor poked his head out.

Adjusting his spectacles he nodded to the General," I see that the mages have arrived?"

"Yes. Falron, this is Echis, the head mage."

The doctor slipped through the crack in the door and extended a skinny hand towards his magical counterpart.

"I would imagine that you would like to be briefed of his condition, Echis?"

As the head mage dipped his head, Falron produced a thick packet of papers. Flipping through the yellowed pages he happened upon a rather long piece of parchment, let out a small," Aaha!"

As Echis looked over the paper Falron briefed hiM," As you can see the patient is suffering from severe internal bleeding, several broken ribs, a broken nose, a smashed cheekbone, a fractured shin bone, cuts, bruises, and numerous small injuries. It also appears that the assassin used a killing curse, but the killing blow's effect was severely drained as it appears that at the last second Talon managed to tackle him, causing him to lose focus and causing the curse to lose most of its power." Pausing the doctor adjusted his collar," That's not to say that it didn't do any damage though. The curse, it seems, burned away most of the skin on his chest, and some of the underlying muscle. In addition to that, there are multiple lacerations across the upper body, which will most likely paralyze him from the waist upwards unless drastic measures are taken."

"I see. We will try and do what we can," Echis glanced at the General," but I cannot guarantee anything. With the banning of magicks above Tier Four it is highly unlikely that we will be able to save him, and if he does survive, then he will probably be useless to you."

The General nodded, his grimace becoming more pronounced as his lips seemed to become thinner," Just... just do your best. If he survives... that will be enough."

"We will try. We will need a day's preparation before we can actually do anything. The ritual that has the _slightest _possible chance to remedy the situation is... complicated. It will be at least... thirty-five hours until we can start gathering results. Will you be gone by then?"

"Yes, I will be over the Demacian border by then."

"The Demacian border?" the mage raised both eyebrows in surprise," ah yes, military matters." He chuckled softly," Very well then, I will send you the results any way I can, but they will be at least two days old by the time they get to you."

"It is to be expected. Just send them to me."

"As you wish."

The General glanced outside at the assembling Praetorians," I am afraid that I must leave now, duty calls."

The General sighed inwardly, _How many times must I use that excuse? _

"Godspeed, General."

* * *

_The Next Day _

Cassiopeia stared at Talon's motionless figure. His body was covered in a plethora of bandages and splints, even his face. They had been in place ever since the mages arrived, as they had immediately began to try and repair his body as best they could before they got to the "main event" as Echis called it.

She was nervous. Perhaps overly so, but she was nervous nonetheless. No, nervous was too weak of a word to describe what she felt right now. Terror? Maybe. She felt that if Talon died… he'd take a part of her with him. He was attached to a piece of her heart, or at least what remained of it, and that part would collapse upon his death, like how it did upon her mother's demise.

He was the _only_ one that could look at her without some sort of negative emotion. Most people felt horror and disgust, the only exceptions being Katarina and Father, and even he felt a bit guilty talking to her. She didn't want his pity, it just made her situation worse, it made her _want _to pity herself. But she didn't want that, she wanted to feel... normal.

When she had first met Talon, she had expected him to recoil in disgust upon seeing her like all the others... but... he _didn't_. At first, she had thought it to be out of respect of her Father, but Talon had maintained eye contact with her throughout their introduction, as if he was studying her. Not in a Zaunist sort of way, where they would scrupulously examine a test subject to record the results of another one of their horrific biological experiments, but in a way as if he was trying to read her… as if she was a human, a being capable of emotion, of feelings.

For the first time in many years she felt… human, acceptance. The only other time she could clearly remember feeling... accepted was around her mother. It had a huge effect on her; even before she had received her snake half people treated her as otherworldly because of her beauty and overall indifference to current events. She had an ethereal feeling about her that set her apart from everyone else, causing her to be isolated from everyone else, even from her very own sister.

Adding to that, she couldn't spend much time with people of her age, or even other children of her class. Children of the elite had to be picture perfect in the eyes of the public, to be anything less would be a disgrace to the family and indeed ,to the nation as a whole. That meant that they spent much time attending various social events, learning etiquette, and such. Essentially, she didn't run her own life, her status did. It made her a picture, a marble statue, something unnatural, made by human meddling.

While her mother was of this world it was... it wasn't as big as a deal. Her mother was the physical embodiment of a goddess, a perfect woman, and she strove to be exactly like her. But her mother's death tore open a wound in her chest that never fully healed. Even to this day it was just a well of festering hatred and spite, ejecting fire and ice in times of distress. Her constant failures in that area just added to it, causing the level of burning rage to grow with every passing day, with every moment. There was nothing that could fully calm its waters... nothing except for Talon and memories of her mother, they were the only ones who she felt comfortable around. Even with father she felt resentment and an almost undetectable tremor of anger.

The General had given the impression of completely ignoring his other daughter. It was almost as if Cassiopeia didn't exist, and sometimes... sometimes she got the feeling that she wasn't wanted... She reminded him too much of mother. She was, after all, the only one of the two sisters to inherit some of mother's characteristics, her eyes. That feeling of rejection and abandonment leapt to new heights once she transformed into this, this _monstrosity_.

He had always favored Katarina, even when mother was still alive. It only got worse after mother's assassination. He clutched Katarina tighter to his chest, spent more time with her, training her to follow in his footsteps.

_Favored brat _she thought bitterly _why did she get the easy path? Not once did she have to worry about how the common person would perceive her, how she would have to act, why she had to do certain things. She didn't have to live on edge, constantly being reminded that she was always being watched, being judged, being measured. _

While Cassiopeia had her mother to spend her time with, to bond with, it still hurt that her father seemed to tote Katarina around as his protégé, leaving her to wallow in her older sister's shadow. She spent hours crying her eyes out, trying to find a way to please her father, to make herself an equal to her sister...

Mother was the pillar she turned to for support in those times of distress. She never told her how she felt, but she took comfort in the fact that her mother was always there, the single constant in her life. Then... then...

_Dammit Mother _Tears began to make their way down Cassiopeia's cheeks _why did you have to die so early?_

* * *

_Flashback 15 Years Ago_

Cassiopeia's eyes snapped open and she vaulted out of bed. She quickly glanced at a colorful calendar that hung on the wall. A square was circled and colored in multiple colors, making it pop out from the rest of the relatively drab piece of paper. Gasping, she emitted a high pitched squeak and rushed out the door, running towards her sister's room down the hall. As she screeched to a stop in front of her sister's room she began to jump up, rapping her tiny hands against her sister's door.

"KaTARina KATarina KataRINA!" Her voice began to rise and fall at random as she tried to control her bubbling excitement.

The door opened just as she reached the height of her ninth jump, and her knuckles hit Katarina square on the nose.

"OW!" Katarina snarled, grasping her injured nose," What was that for Cassie?"

Cassiopeia stared downwards somewhat sorrowfully, but then perked up again as the reason for why she had woken up so early came to her.

"Do you know what day it is Kat?"

"No, I don't Cassie, and I told you at least a _hundred _times _not_ to call me _Kat_!"

Cassiopeia stopped her excited leaping and stared at her sister in shock.

"What?" Katarina asked crankily, still nursing her injured nose.

"How could you not know what day it is Katarina?" Cassiopeia assumed the position her mother used when she scolded them, a wrist at the hip and a finger shaking menacingly in their face (at least she tried, she was still at least a foot shorter than her sister). "It's Mother's birthday!"

Katarina's green eyes widened as she suddenly remembered.

"Oh… Ooooooooh." Katarina blinked rapidly," Where's my shirt?" She turned around to search the dim light for her clothing.

Cassiopeia bounced up and down impatiently," Really Kat, must you wear such _manly_ clothes? But that's not the point; we have to make it to the kitchen in time!"

"Alright alright alright! And stop calling me Kat!"

Cassiopeia paid her elder sister no heed as she zoomed through the hallway, running as fast as her legs could carry her. She took the steps three at a time, jumping down them with such recklessness that a nearby maid reprimanded her for her "unladylike conduct."

Cassiopeia could care less as she barged into the kitchen, ducking in between the legs of the chefs and cooks that had risen before dawn to ready the bread for the Praetorians, or the black hats as Cassiopeia liked to call them.

As she looked around the crowded area, she spotted the tall figure of her Father standing next to a frying pan over a fire.

"Father!" she exclaimed.

Her Father turned around, and a smile graced his face as he spotted his youngest child," Cassie!"

Cassiopeia ran and threw herself into her Father's outstretched arms, burying her face in his chest, inhaling the comforting smell of her paternal figure.

Chuckling, the General asked softly," And what is my little sprout doing?"

Huffing, Cassiopeia withdrew herself from her Father's embrace and crossed her milky white arms across her chest," Father," she hissed," I _told _you not to call me that!"

"And yet you still refer to Katarina by her pet name, do you not?"

"But that's _different_!"

The General chuckled," How so?"

"Because, be-because," Cassiopeia spluttered, trying to come up with a viable reason," Because we're sisters and that's what sisters do, so there!"

Cassiopeia turned around and stuck her nose up in the air, trying to give off an aura of being a cold hearted lady (Oh the irony).

Her father only grinned cheekily, then turned around," Well I suppose _someone _doesn't want to help deliver mother her breakfast."

"WHAT?" Cassiopeia cried, turning around to face her father with a terrified look," You- you wouldn't? Would you?"

She stared at her father, her bottom lip trembling.

"Who says I wouldn't?" her father said, examining his finger nails.

Cassiopeia looked at her father, trying to see if he was being truthful or not. The General finally let a small grin emerge from his impassive face, causing Cassiopeia to smack his arm.

"That's not funny Father!"

"Yes it is, especially when I draw such reactions from such a cyoooooote little child."

The General reached forwards, his thumb and index fingers ready to pinch Cassiopeia's still chubby cheeks. Cassiopeia, in response shrieked and darted behind the legs of an arriving servant.

Lord Du Couteau only laughed. Glancing upwards at the servant, he asked," What is it?"

"The fruit and the sweets, my Lord."

"Ah, thank you."

The General stood upright, towering over Cassiopeia, and reached for the bowls the servant offered him.

Cassiopeia peeked out from behind one of the servant's trouser clad legs and asked," What are you making, Father?"

"Come and see."

Cassiopeia jumped into her father's awaiting arms and looked downwards at the pan as her father drew himself up to her full height.

"Pancakes?" she asked incredulously," Why pancakes?"

"Your mother has something of a sweet tooth and you can add many sweet toppings to pancakes, making it the perfect breakfast for your wonderful mother."

At that moment Katarina rushed in, still slipping into a shirt. Cassiopeia looked at her sister reprovingly; for her choice of clothing, arriving late and for arriving while not fully clothed.

"Oh stop," Katarina rolled her eyes.

"And how is my little blade master doing?" The General set Cassiopeia down on the floor as he bent down to meet his eldest at eye level. "My my my how you have grown. It seems to have been only yesterday that I was holding you in my arms, my first child."

The General looked down at Katarina warmly, while she looked downwards in embarrassment," Really Father, I don't appreciate your babying of me."

Cassiopeia watched, feeling somewhat left out. It had been like this ever since she could remember, Katarina had always been her better in terms of how much affection their Father bestowed upon them. She hated how her Father seemed to drop everything once his favorite "little blade master" entered the room. But, Cassiopeia quickly locked shoved her spiteful thoughts into the dusty corners of her mind as soon as they had entered, stunned by her disloyal thoughts.

"Of course. Now," the General suddenly shot up, clapping his hands," I believe that your mother's breakfast should be ready within the hour."

He left his position by the fire as a servant rushed forwards to take his place, striding over to the storage area.

"BREN!" he bellowed, calling out for the burly head chef.

"Yes me Lord?" A large white clad figure poked his head out from a storage closet, covered in flour.

"Is it ready?"

"Aye, that is my Lord."

"Good," turning back to the children he smiled broadly, his hands at his hips," Now, who's ready to make some cake?"

* * *

Lady Du Couteau awoke stretching her arms, yawning as she did so. She rubbed the bleariness from her eyes as he looked around the empty bedroom from her husband.

"Where did you run off to now, Marcus?" she wondered aloud, propped up on her bed.

"Oh Helenaaaaaaaaaa."

The Lady Du Couteau heard her husband's sing-song voice reverberate outside the door," What is it Marcus you prick?" She stifled another yawn, making an effort to sit upright without dozing off to sleep.

"Do you know what day it is?"

Her brow furrowed as she tried to sort through her foggy memory," No? Why?"

"It's a _very _special occasion!"

"What kind of occasion?"

"It's your birthday!" He barged in, laden with a large tray and followed by their daughters.

She laughed," Is it really? It's amazing how fast time can go by as you get older."

Her husband cocked an eyebrow at her," And yet you seem to get more and more amazing with each passing year."

"Oh shush you old coot." Helena threw a feather pillow at her husband, causing him to duck his head in order to evade the projectile.

"Now that isn't nice," her husband let an exaggerated frown appear.

Helena laughed," Oh you overgrown man-child you."

Marcus' eyes crinkled as he laughed, shuffling aside to allow Cassiopeia to dart forwards into her mother's bosom.

Katarina hung back a bit, shuffling her feet awkwardly as she stayed by her father's side.

"Katarina? Aren't you going to go hug your mother?"

"Well I suppose..." Katarina plodded over to her mother hesitantly, and gave her a quick hug.

"Are you afraid that I'm going to force you to learn ladylike behavior, Katarina?"

Katarina's muffled voice sounded out hesitantly," Of course not... Mother."

The General gave his wife a sad smile, still bearing the tray of food. "Now, let's see to that breakfast shall we?" Marcus shooed away his daughters as he placed the metal tray over his wife's lap and sat by her, an arm thrown around her shoulder and his legs crossed.

"Pancakes? Really Marcus?"

Marcus shrugged," A sweet delicacy for an _equally _sweet wife. Besides, I know how much you love fruits and sweets," he quickly dipped a finger in the chocolate sauce and licked it.

"Father!" Cassiopeia squeaked, glaring at her childish father," That was for Mother!"

"Come now child, you can't say that you want some either!"

Cassiopeia opened her mouth in an attempt for protest her Father's claim, but couldn't refute it. General Du Couteau took the opportunity to dip another finger in the chocolate and swipe it across Cassiopeia's tongue.

"EEEK!" Cassiopeia screeched, slapping her palms over her mouth as she glowered at her father.

Helena let out piggish snort and her sides began to shake uncontrollably in her laughter, threatening to overturn the tray.

"Come now dearest Helena," the General chided, turning to his wife," you mustn't behave in such an _unladylike _manner."

The General had his left hand at his hip and his index finger waggling in front of her, his face showing faux disapproval and arrogance.

"Oh shut it you," Helena replied, flinging a pancake at her husband's face.

A fleshy _splat _resounded throughout the room as a syrup laden pancake landed on Marcus' face, splattering syrup all over his recently washed face.

"Now dear, that was _uncalled _for," Marcus said mournfully as he peeled the pancake from his forehead," now my facial hair will start to stick together." He shuddered," You're lucky it's your birthday, my dear, for if it wasn't..."

"But it _is _my birthday dear, so go on, go wash your beard."

The General huffed and glared at his daughters who were laughing hysterically, rolling on the floor, their sides aching from their laughter. A sudden mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he spoke," Well, while I can't extract my revenge on my beautiful wife, I _can _however do something about two children who are currently laughing at their Father's plight."

At this Katarina and Cassiopeia sat straight up, all traces of humor gone from their faces as they tried to gauge how serious their father was.

"Very."

Katarina and Cassiopeia leapt up and bolted for the door, knocking down the maid who was carrying a pile of recently cleaned clothing as they did so. Marcus rushed out after them, leaping over the fallen maid and apologizing for, his daughters' "irresponsible behavior" and promising that," he would bring them to justice immediately."

Helena just laughed at her husband's childishness, her daughters' plight, and the maid's look of utter confusion as she sat up and tried to understand what had just happened.

"It's quite alright Mary, it's just Marcus and his silly antics."

_Overgrown man child indeed._

* * *

"While the breakfast was wonderful Marcus, but I do hope that that wasn't all you planned."

"Of course not my dear. Cassiopeia and I have this day _all _planned out, don't we?"

"Yes we do!" Cassiopeia exclaimed, bobbing her head, her pearly white teeth shining.

The General smirked, remembering the countless nights he had spent with Cassiopeia meticulously planning out this particular day. He has spent all day yesterday ensuring that the reservations were set, and that the plans were in place.

He opened the carriage door before turning to face his family. The females of the family were all dressed similarly, clad in coats, blouses, skirts and boots. The only difference between them was the color of their clothing and their hairstyle; Cassiopeia seemed to be a prancing angel, clad in pure white and bright yellow, complete with her perfectly placed blonde curls and white bowties on her dainty little feet. Katarina on the other hand dressed in black and crimson and merely tied her hair back into a ponytail (even that was unusual for her). She would have dressed in brown, but had desisted from dressing in such an earthen color as Cassiopeia had pronounced it as being "too drab" and demanded that Katarina dress in something she deemed acceptable.

But his wife... his wife was... was... indescribably beautiful... She was clothed in a navy blue outfit, complete with gloves and hat, and was wearing her sapphire pendant and her diamond wedding ring. She had done her hair, curling her luscious brown locks to perfection.

"Oh would you stop looking at me like that you sappy excuse for a husband!"

"Oh er- I em- was eh-"

"Staring."

"Yes, of course. You're just too... perfect."

Helena Du Couteau rolled her eyes and playfully slapped her husband's arm," You always were a corny man, Marcus."

"Well I can't help it when I'm with you," he shrugged," Now, would you like to board the carriage my lady?"

"What will I ever do with you?"

"Oh I don't know... be my wonderful wife and grow old with me?"

"Oh shut up."

"Will do."

"Le voleur. Sounds exotic, what does it mean."

The General shook his head sheepishly," I don't know. All I know is that the food here is to die for."

"Is it now?"

The General nodded, holding the glass door open for his family," Especially their soups..." he paused, looking up at the sunny sky, a dreamy look on his face," their soup..."

Helena rolled her eyes at her husband and ushered in her daughters, leaving their Father outside. At the desk was a receptionist dressed in a white coat with black trimming and a double column of steel button. He sported a curly black mustache and a goatee, and had a single monocle in front of his right eye. A steel name tag on his right breast proclaimed him to be," Bernard."

"Euh Madame, I prezume zat zat eez your 'usband ztanding outzide?" he stood up to greet them.

"Yes, he looks quite idiotic, doesn't he?" she asked good naturedly.

The waiter seemed to be taken aback, not expecting that sort of response. His mouth twitched, and he seemed unsure of what to say.

"Just say yes."

"Oh euh, yez?" The waiter quickly recovered from his shock," I azzume zat you are Madame Du Couetau, no? Your 'uzband made a rezervation lazt afternoon zo your table eez already prepared. Would you like for me to wake your 'uzband from 'is ztupor?"

"No it is fine."

"Very well, Monsieur Du Cuoteau! Monsieur Du Couteau!"

"Hmm? What? Oh!" The General entered the parlor, taking off his cap as he did so.

"Could you leave your coatz, capez, and 'atz here, pleaze? Zank you, and Generahl, would you pleaze leave your zword 'ere? Zank you. Right zees way." The waiter gestured to his left, holding out a pen and pad.

As the Du Couteau family moved through the well lit corridor, they passed several alcoves framed by glass and painted white, some were occupied, some weren't, but they were all magnificent and well tended. All along the hall were candles supported by ornate candlesticks, paintings of various objects, and many glass windows that flooded the area in light.

Cassiopeia looked around the restaurant in wonder, awed by the grace and overall structure of the building. The group soon reached a pair of glass doors which the waiter pushed open, allowing the family to filter out onto a balcony overlooking the heart of the elite, military, and political districts.

She turned to her Mother excitedly," Could we come back here? Maybe for another social event? It's _wonderful _here!"

Her mother looked down at her daughter lovingly," Of course. In fact, what do you say to just the two of us? We'll spend a whole day just to ourselves."

Cassiopeia bobbed her head at a high speed, almost snapping her neck," I would love to Mother."

The chilly autumn wind rippled through their hair, giving the air about them a fresh, crisp smell. The General closed his eyes and took a sniff of the air, as if it was the smell of a delicious delicacy being prepared in the kitchens of the manor.

"Would you like an umbrella of zome zort?" the waiter asked, startling the General.

"No it's fine," the General assured him, watching as several servants slipped through the door and sat down his family.

"Well zen," the waiter produced his pen and paper," what you four be 'aving?"

"The soup for starters. We'll decide from there."

"An excellent choice Generahl, I will 'ave zee appetizerz out 'ere momentarily."

"Very well."

The group of waiters and waitresses left, their coat tails snapping in the wind.

The General drew out a white steel chair and sat down next to his wife.

"So, what do you think of the place so far?"

The Lady Du Couteau pulled a stray strand of hair from Katarina's head before answering," It seems delightful, especially the waiters outfits. The overall design and look of the place is pleasing to the eye, and if physical appearances are anything, then I cannot wait to taste their food."

"What? Did you not take my word for it?"

Helena smirked," Knowing you Marcus, decent food comes in the form of sandwiches."

The General scowled, feeling slightly miffed," But they _are _good."

"Still Marcus, they aren't fit for a General."

"You know, one would think that someone of my status and rank would have a little more flexibility," he grouched.

"Status and rank just makes it all the more imperative to stay classy."

As the family continued their discussion, several screams and a loud clattering sound resounded out in the streets below the balcony.

The General rushed over to the edge, accompanied by Katarina, and as they both peered over the edge they spotted a small boy, no more than ten, clad in tan robes darted out from a shop below and evading numerous guards that came to investigate the disturbance.

"STOP THIEF!"

Another small boy burst out of another shop, but this one was not as dexterous or as nimble as the other, and he was apprehended quickly.

"I've got one!" roared the guard, hauling the scrawny boy up by his collar.

The boy in tan robes quickly made his way over to his friend's captor and head butted him, causing the guard to drop him unceremoniously onto the ground.

"Come on!"

"I'm trying dammit!"

The pair raced off down the street, the boy clad in tan skillfully avoiding all of those that tried to grab him, and occasionally assisting his not as skilled friend.

"What was all the commotion about, Marcus?"Helena sounded mildly concerned.

"It's nothing, love. Just a pair of street rats. Nothing to worry about. Come along Katarina, let's go eat."

* * *

"The park?"

"It thought a change of scenery might be nice," the General shrugged and walked on. "After all, we've spent most of the day traveling to art galleries, your seamstresses and weavers, visiting friends and acquaintances. Though it might be nice to get away from company and just have some family time." He stared up at the sky," It's a good thing the weather let up, I really hate rain."

"Does it make your bones ache?" Helena inquired humorously.

"Probably does, Father's getting old," Katarina called out from ahead. "He constantly complains about getting aches and chills."

Cassiopeia chimed in," Yes Mother, haven't you noticed how he always seems to know when it's about to rain?"

The General shook his head in dismay and looked at his wife," Helena, why did you have to bully me so early on? It dampens the festive mood of familial occasions like this."

"Female superiority," Helena cocked her head, looking innocently at her husband with her blue eyes.

"Indeed," the General snorted. He suddenly leaned forwards and swept Helena off her feet and raced towards the park's lake, carrying his shrieking wife bridal style. Katarina and Cassiopeia hurriedly followed their parents, stopping every now and then to pick up an article of clothing that her Mother had lost in the sudden rush.

As the siblings arrived at the heart of the park, they found their Father situated at the edge of the lake, holding his wife precariously over the edge. She was trying to calm her trembling voice, trying to reason with her husband. Marcus, however, would have none of it.

"First you have to take back your feminine superiority remark," he said teasingly.

"Put me down you brute!"

"Really, I think you are in no position to make demands my sweet, after all, you are no threat to me."

Katarina and Cassiopeia, eager to get in on the festivities flew to their Mother's aid, grasping various articles of the General's clothing.

Katarina leapt upwards, and managed to snatch her Father's cap from his head and unclip the scarlet cape from his shoulders. Cassiopeia, being shorter and not possessing the skills of he sister, instead went for her Father's boots, causing him to tip over and fall backwards, bringing his wife with him.

As he fell, the sisters made off with their plunder (rather slowly as their skirts hampered their progress), their Mother following close behind. The General got up slowly, dazed by his fall, his feet covered only in white stockings. He shook his head in disgust and made a beeline for the rebellious females, albeit while avoiding the wet grass and various puddles that obstructed his path.

Katarina lead the escape, her Father's cloak wrapped around her left arm and his hat perched atop her head, every now and then drooping low enough so as to force her to prop it back up lest she crash into a tree. Looking behind her, she saw her mother swooping up Cassiopeia and racing to catch up with her eldest daughter, her Father closing in.

Taking note of her Father's reluctance to get wet, Katarina quickly looked forwards and tried to determine where the wettest spot of terrain was. Spotting a cobblestone path that was covered in puddles; she turned back and made eye contact with her mother, then pointed at the cobblestone pathway. Once her mother nodded her understanding, Katarina vaulted over the fence that lined the path, and raced the opposite way. Her mother split off, heading towards the predetermined location.

Marcus stopped at the fence, his breathing irregular. He glared at the retreating figures of his family, cursed, and then hesitantly examined the ground.

"Well at least this proves that Katarina is a quick thinker. Oh what the hell, it's all in good fun."

With that, he clearing the fence and began to race through the grass, chasing down his wife.

Helena glanced back again, and let out a little sigh of dismay as she saw her husband jump over the fence.

Glancing downwards at the puddles of water she was jumping over, she looked back over her shoulder, and slowed down a little, sincerely hoping that what she thought would happen, would happen.

The General felt his sock clad feet stomp into several puddles of water, coating his legs in the bitter cold liquid, but he carried on, closing the distance between him and his wife. Perhaps with his wife and Cassiopeia he could bargain Katarina for his cloak and boots… No, he'd have to chase her down too; Katarina never gave up _that _easily.

But for now he had his wife in his sights.

_The final stretch Marcus. _

The General began to speed up, crouching lower both to lower his profile which in effect, decreased his wind resistance, and to ready himself for the diving tackle he would execute to bring down his wife.

He began to angle himself so as to throw him wife and daughter onto the field of green to their right, and slowly but surely began to cut his wife's lead.

_Just a couple more feet ought to do it. _

The General physically felt his lungs start to breathe faster in preparation for the jump, starting a domino effect across his body. His heart started to beat faster to keep up with his breathing, his arteries and veins throbbed as increasing amounts of oxygen was being forced through his blood vessels, his legs began to tense up in preparation of his jump, and then, finally, he left the ground causing his view to start tilting… upwards?

Marcus' eyes widened as he stared up at the sky for what seemed like an eternity, then came crashing down onto the cobblestone road, sliding forwards at high speed, just narrowly avoiding entangling his legs with his wife's. At the sound of splashing water and an "oomf," Helena Du Couteau chanced a quick glance behind her, and began to howl with laughter as soon as she saw her husband lying on the ground. Cassiopeia who had seen the whole thing (and was previous screaming at her Mother to go faster) erupted into laughter, her high pitched squeals going unpunished.

"Meet you back at the carriage love!"

As the General lay on the ground staring up at the sky, two words echoed in his head.

_Female superiority._

* * *

As the General trooped wearily back to the carriage, clutching his aching sides as he did so, he spotted his family standing by the carriage, laughing hysterically at the defeated Marcus.

"You minx," he called out," You intentionally slowed down, didn't you? Taunting me…"

"Yes, yes I did. I would say that it worked wonderfully. The only regret I have is that Katarina wasn't there to see it."

"Did you plan all that out?"

Helena glanced downwards at Katarina," No, not all of it. The idea of splitting up was Katarina's, I only acted on instinct."

The General knelt down by his daughter," You fox. You bested your old man at his own game, eh? Did I not tell you once she was born that she was a fox, Helena?"

"You did tell me, but that was only because her hair was red."

"Still, our little Katarina is a veritable General." He ruffled her hair fondly," A foxy lady she'll turn out to be, neh?"

"Oh shush Marcus."

"As you wish."

He looked at Cassiopeia who was standing next to her mother, looking a bit annoyed.

"Are you cold little one?"

Cassiopeia hesitated a bit, looking at her elder sister," Yes Father," she mumbled.

The General knelt down and threw his great coat around her.

"Share it with your sister," he said and reclaimed his cloak from Katarina's possession. "Are you cold dear?"

"No, I'm fine Marcus."

The General glanced at the darkening sky and removed a golden pocket watch from his pocket and flipped it open. He closed it and rapidly opened the carriage door.

"It's half past eight," he announced," we best be going now."

As they hopped aboard the carriage, he shared a knowing look with his daughters.

* * *

"Oh my, it is good to be back home," Helena groaned as she handed off her belongings to a nearby maid.

"That it is, my dear," Lord Du Couteau glanced at his daughters and flicked his eyes upwards, towards their rooms. Understanding what he was silently saying, they excused themselves and made their way upstairs.

"Helena, let's go to the dining hall, shall we. I requested that the servants prepare some dinner for us before we left; I thought you might be hungry when we came back."

"I suppose a little something wouldn't hurt, but we should change first."

The General nodded, somewhat relieved. As his wife made her way up the stairs to their bedroom the General silently beckoned a servant to him.

"Is it ready?"

"Yes my Lord."

"Good. Good. I'll be back."

Lord Du Couteau took the stairs two at a time, unable to control his excitement. As he entered his bedroom he quietly stole over to the bottom of the bed he shared with his wife and pulled out a briefcase. He placed it on the bed and made his way over to the dressing room and shed his dirty clothing, placing it into the hamper outside. He took his time, waiting for his wife to leave, and then quickly finished. Marcus practically bounced over to the bed, quietly checking the hallway to make sure his wife had left, and then quickly retrieved a paper wrapped parcel from the confines of the leather briefcase.

When he arrived at the bottom of the stairs he found his wife waiting for him, and he offered his arm to her. The couple made their way to the dining hall, one lost in her thoughts of the day and the other feeling quite agitated. As they approached the door the General glanced behind him and caught sight of Katarina and Cassiopeia struggling to catch up, their own parcels tucked away in their fresh clothing.

Smiling at them, he paused, and then opened the door once they had arrived.

As Helena Du Couteau was a woman of stature and elegance, one would expect an equally elegant dining hall. The dining hall was grand and spacious, with various paintings of proceeding Du Couteaus hung up along the walls, pedestals holding busts, dozens of decorative light fixtures along the walls, and red carpeting with gold designs that was silky to the touch and perfectly clean.

The table itself was large enough to seat at least 30 guests (including the Du Coueteaus) at a time. It was a dark chocolate color, and was covered by a red cloth trimmed with gold tassels. There were five golden candlesticks strategically placed on the table to light up the area, and above hung a magnificent crystal chandelier that tinkled every now and then when a gust of wind pushed the crystals together. Behind the head seat of the table was a large five foot wide circular stain glass window that showered the table with multicolored lights in the daytime. All in all it was a breathtaking sight, and _very _few people besides relatives of the Du Couteaus were fortunate enough to dine in the famed Du Couteau dining hall.

There were servants already lined up at the table, placed behind the chairs, also a dark chocolate color, ready to remove the chairs. The Du Couetaus advanced to the spots that were already prepared with silver platters, forks, and goblets. Helena, expecting her husband to take the head seat as he was the head of the house, had made for the first chair on his right, but her husband grasped her by the shoulder and motioned for her to take the head seat.

"You really are mushy." She sincerely at him, touched by his seemingly minor gesture.

"I don't hear you complaining."

As they were seated, the missus of the house looked about for the food, and arched an eyebrow at her husband, who was smiling mischievously.

"So have I walked straight into your trap, Marcus."

"Well I wouldn't say _trap_, plan yes. Trap no."

He beckoned at a servant standing by a set of double doors off to the right, who immediately turned around and threw open the doors to allow the head chef and his assistant to go through, laden with a square platter at least a foot wide. They carried their load slowly, taking care not to bump into any of the servants, and gingerly set the platter on the table.

It landed with a soft _whump _as the chefs hastily withdrew their fingers from the platter so as to avoid having them squished by the contents of the platter.

Helena took another glance at her family, who were, by now, all grinning manically, and then grasped the top of the platter by its silver handle and lifted it to reveal a cake.

It wasn't grand by any means, it was rather small by the elite's standards, and it wasn't decorated with all the ornamentation expected of a birthday cake, but it was carefully crafted, carefully made, made with love. It was so perfect in its imperfection.

The cake itself was white with a wobbly lacy border that went slightly askew at several points, a few misshapen roses here and there, some out of proportion figures depicting the Du Couteau family, and the sloppily written message in the middle.

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. We thank you for being our pillar, our support, our strength, our courage, but most of all, we thank you for being you."

She felt her eyes become misty and she looked up at her family, who were looking at her eagerly.

"Did you… did you make this?" she whispered.

"Yes," Marcus answered, a little disconcerted by her tears," We wanted to make this special so we designed it and baked it ourselves. I'm sorry that you don't like it."

_Smack. _

The General held his cheek in shock, looking up to see his wife glaring at him," Don't you _dare _say that. I'm not crying because it's bad, I'm crying because it's beautiful you silly man."

She then threw herself onto her husband, hugging him as she cried into his shoulder. The General awkwardly patted her back, trying hard to breathe.

"Agh, Helena, Helena. I think it might be prudent for us to give you your gifts."

Marcus felt Helena's arms stop constricting his neck reluctantly, but she sat back in her seat and wiped away her tears.

The General produced his package first and unwrapped it slowly, allowing the crinkle of the paper to be heard clearly as he unveiled his gift. It was a beautiful diamond necklace. The jewel was set in gold and the necklace was made up of a solid gold ring as opposed to chain links. Upon the necklace was engraved a simple message," This necklace is my gift to you, my love. I wish I could fully express the love and joy you give me, but I cannot fit it into words. I hope you enjoy this diamond, a symbol of my love, of your purity, of your beauty, and of the hope and clarity you bring to my life. Love, Marcus."

Helena felt her eyes misting again, and was about to bring her husband into another bear hug when he motioned to Katarina and Cassiopeia.

"I'm sure our daughters would like to present their gifts to you."

The pair looked at each other hesitantly," We weren't sure what to get you Mother," Katarina started.

"But Cassiopeia came up with a brilliant idea."

They presented their Mother with two roses, one red and one white. They weren't natural roses however; they were handmade, with thorn less golden stems and ruby and opal petals surrounding a miniature painting of Katarina and Cassiopeia respectively.

"How did…" Helena was rendered speechless by their gift.

"Father had a friend in the jeweler trade," Cassiopeia answered," we drew up what we had in mind and handed him the plans and he cut and he handcrafted them. We painted the portraits ourselves so that now you can always have us around!" Cassiopeia brightened visibly but her happiness was dampened as she asked," Do you- do you like it?"

"I don't like it, I love it!"

Helena pulled in her two daughters and they were forced to endure her bone crushing hug. Katarina, like Marcus, struggled to escape, but Cassiopeia buried her face into her mother's shoulder and cried along with her.

Marcus watched the waterworks, feeling a warm fire being ignited in his heart. He quietly set about cutting the cake, cutting some for the chefs and the servants that helped make this happen. The servants and chefs were surprised when he motioned for them to take a piece, but remained silent as they each chose a piece. As the head chef approached, Marcus personally handed him his piece of cake, choosing from the best of them, and mouthed," Thank you."

The head chef only nodded and smiled in response.

Helena finally let her children go, releasing them from her smothering (get it?) grasp and for the second time that day wiped the salty tears from her eyes.

"Thank you, for such a perfect birthday." She said as she slipped on the necklace and pinned on the flowers.

"For you Mother." Cassiopeia exclaimed.

The General smiled and tousled her hair, much to her chagrin.

"Well let's eat the cake, shall we?" The General distributed the remaining pieces of cake among the family.

He poked a fork into his piece experimentally, surprised to see it pierce the top without much effort. The rest of the group took this as a signal to start eating, and they dug into it with gusto. Not much was heard for several minutes except the sounds of chewing mouths and forks scraping plates.

"Not going to lie," the General announced," it tasted much better than I thought it was."

"All thanks to the chefs," teased Katarina.

"All thanks to the chefs," Marcus laughed.

At that point the double doors opened, and Lieutenant Zane hurried in, carrying a yellowed piece of parchment that bore the official emblem of the Noxian High Command.

The General took the parchment, looked at it blankly, and then opened it. As he read it, his eyes got narrower and narrower, and his brow furrowed more and more.

"I thought there was nothing going on at the High Command?" Helena asked worriedly.

"It appears something has turned up," the General said hastily, collecting his cloak and sword from the Lieutenant. "Are you coming with me Lieutenant?"

"I suppose so sir; the messenger specifically informed me that the Captain was supposed to stay behind."

"Very well. Where is he?"

"He should be coming arriving now, my Lord."

As the words left his mouth two dozen Praetorians entered the room and ushered out the servants, lining up against the walls and guarding the endurances.

"What's happening Father?" Katarina asked, trying to keep her voice level and calm.

Marcus paused, and looked over at his wife. She already knew, he could tell by the fear in her eyes. She nodded and the General looked back down at his daughter.

"It appears that some very bad men want to attack me, and I have to leave in order to keep you safe, to keep myself safe."

Katarina emitted a shrill cry and threw herself at her Father's legs, hugging them so as to keep him anchored to the physical world.

"Don't go," she pleaded.

"I have to," he said gently, kneeling down," it's for your own safety."

Katarina sobbed some more, but eventually relented and let go of her father and watched him leave the dining hall. He stopped as he stepped over the threshold, and then looked behind him at his family for what very well could be the last time.

Half of the Praetorians filed out behind their General, the last pair closing and locking the door. The remaining Praetorians, including the Captain, kept watch over the General's family, who were currently bunched up and bawling together.

They stayed like that for some time, the daughters clutching their mother's arms, with Katarina mumbling wordless phrases and Cassiopeia bawling as if she was a newborn. Their mother gazed helplessly at them, trying unsuccessfully to soothe their worries. She tried to raise their spirits by telling them lighthearted stories of her younger days with Marcus, but her heart wasn't in it and the mood did not change.

Cassiopeia clutched her mother's arm praying to whatever god that lived above to let her father live. She was still praying fervently when a metal container crashed through the stain glass window and exploded, creating a cloud of smoke.

Shouts of surprise and curses flew through the air as the Praetorians tried to light up the area, but they were quickly silenced as a loud _thud _was heard.

_Rasp. Rasp. Rasp. _

Moments later a _shlick _was heard, followed by a _thump_. The noise of deafening, as if they were amplified a thousand fold.

Several minutes passed before a voice tentatively called out," Johnson? Johnson? Johnso-_hyurk!_"

The Praetorian let out a strangled cry, and then another _thump _resounded out in the dining hall.

_Rasp. Rasp. Rasp. _

"Get to the Lady!" called out the Captain, and the sounds of rapidly moving feet were heard immediately after.

Cries of surprise and pain sounded out soon after, one from the left, two from the right, another from the left. The sickening _thud thud thud_ing of bodies was the only sound heard, along with the stomach churning sound of metal sinking into human flesh. It was all Cassiopeia could do from emptying her stomach of its contents.

The Praetorians let out shrieks of pain and fear. The unseen being seemed to revel in their fear, every now and then letting out a rasp of ecstasy and elation.

"Where are you my dearies? Come to papa…" a sickeningly sweet voice called out, followed by some sniggers and more rasping.

A final cry rent the air as the assassin found the final Praetorian, and the sounds of breaking bones sent an unprecedented wave of fear through Cassiopeia, paralyzing her.

Cassiopeia felt her mother grasp her hand and then silently lead them to the doorway. She heard her mother trying desperately to open the door, but to no avail. She felt her mother covering her with her body, and felt Katarina clasping her hand.

_Rasp. Rasp. Rasp. _

The sound of breathing and stomping boots came closer and closer. Then, it paused.

All of a sudden, her mother stiffened against her. Opening her eyes to see the cause of her rapid change of posture, she spotted two red eyes looking down upon them from the smoke. The head of the assassin was featureless, only its glowing red eyes were visible. It was as if the assassin was part of the smoke.

Cassiopeia felt her body freeze, her throat seemingly stopped mid jump in her throat.

"Well well well," the assassin's voice sounded out with the same sadistic tones," what do we have here? It seems I have caught myself quite the catch, the lovely Lady Du Couteau, and on her birthday no less! This calls for some _special _celebration on my part. Unfortunately, I have no gifts to present you." It's eyes seemed to grow dimmer in distress," But wait!"The eyes resumed their previous bright maliciousness," I have my blades!" he sang out in a sing-song voice, not unlike the one her father used earlier in the day. The sound of metal scraping against leather was heard. "So here's to a happy birthday!" the assassin exclaimed.

With that the assassin's face plunged downwards and the sound of opening flesh cut the air. Cassiopeia felt rather than heard her mother scream and spasm against her and Katarina. She heard the sound of the blade whistling through the air, the sound of it entering her mother's belly.

One, two, three times the assassin stabbed her. Her mother's ragged breath filled the void, causing shivers to run up Cassiopeia's spine as she cowered beneath her mother's dress.

"Give your husband my regards, will you?" the figure rasped, throwing back his head and laughing at its own gruesome humor.

The eyes disappeared from view and the sound of crushing glass was heard.

"It is done. Recall me." This was followed by a bluish light that pierced through the smoke, growing brighter and brighter over a period of several seconds, and then it disappeared.

Cassiopeia crawled out from underneath her mother, her blouse stained with blood. She gulped air and felt her hot tears slide down her cheeks as she collapsed next to her mother. The smoke began to clear a bit, allowing Cassiopeia to see her mother's face.

"Mother… please hold on. Please stay awake until Father gets here. He'll know what to do," Cassiopeia choked on her tears and buried her face into her mother's stomach.

She felt the loving touch of her mother's smooth hand on her chin as her face was gently propped up. She looked at her mother with her blue eyes, staring into the eyes that resembled hers almost identically.

"Cassiopeia, Katarina... tell your Father that… that today was the most wonderful day of my life," she suddenly started to spasm, coughing up blood.

Cassiopeia clenched her mother's dress tighter," No! NO! NOO! YOU WON'T DIE, YOU WILL LIVE!" Cassiopeia began to sob again. She could hear Katarina's sniffles. She was attempting to hold back the tears, and Cassiopeia felt a savage rage ignite. This was their _mother_, one did not hold back their tears when their mother was-

"Cassiopeia… look at me…" Her mother paused, waiting for Cassiopeia to comply," If there is one good thing that comes out of this..."

Her mother began to cough up blood again, causing Cassiopeia to dab at her mother's mouth with her garment. Helena swallowed down the blood that fought its way up and managed a weary smile," At least I'll be able to accomplish what you wanted... I'll be with you forever..." With that sentence Lady Du Couteau held the gifts her family gave to her to her breast, and then let out her last breath, dying in the arms of her two children, not even ten years old.

Cassiopeia made no attempt to keep her head up as her mother's hand left her chin, her forehead colliding with her mother's now still ribcage.

She heard Katarina's anguished cries, and she felt a whirlpool open up inside of her. It sucked in everything, all her thoughts and emotions were suddenly nonexistent. The void didn't last for long however, as she felt a burning hate take up residence there. Hate for the guards inability to protect her family. Hate for her father for leaving. Hate for her mother for dying. Hate for her sister for mourning the parent that she, Cassiopeia, was closest to. Hate for herself for not being able to do anything. Hate for the pair of glowing red eyes for taking from her her mother.

Cassiopeia screamed.

She suddenly jolted upwards, woken from her trance. She glanced around with moist eyes, making sure that no one had witnessed her temporary lapse of weakness. Cassiopeia glimpsed downwards, and saw that she had been burying her face into Talon's chest, her tears causing the bandages and cloths swathed around his torso to become wet.

She cupped his face in her hand," Don't die on me dammit. Stay with me you magnificent bastard."

* * *

Cheriknikov snapped up, his head aching. It had felt like he had been drinking again... but he hadn't... he was dead.

Groaning, he sat up.

"Am I in the afterlife?" he asked to no one in particular, looking around at the hazy green mist that surrounded him.

"No," a feminine voice answered his question.

At the sound Cheriknikov snarled," If that's you LeBlanc, you traitorous bitch, I will-"

A hooded figure stepped into view.

"I am not LeBlanc, nor am I part of the Black Rose."

Cheriknikov squinted at the figure.

"You look familiar." Recognition dawned on his face," You were at the meeting I had with the Dark Lady!"

"Yes, but we have met before that."

She reached out and waved her fingers in front of his face, casting a silent spell.

Cheriknikov blinked several times as a whole part of his brain seemed to open up, letting blocked off memories be relived. Glass. Smoke. Blood.

"You're the one who hired me."

"Yes, yes," the figure waved impatiently," I have come here to offer you a proposition."

"How do I know that you won't kill me?"

"Well I did resurrect you, didn't I? And your wounds have been healed."

"Very well," he conceded," go on."

"You did a job for us a number of years ago… I would like for you to finish it."

"The secondary target? Why the change of heart?"

"He must be removed from the equation. He is proving to be rather... difficult."

"Is this a single contract or will I be involved further?"

"You will be assigned at least two targets, perhaps more if the need arises. You have proved your worth before, and we trust that you will do so again."

"I see. What will my payment be?"

"You know exactly what you want, revenge. On both LeBlanc and Talon, no?"

Cherikinikov nodded slightly, surprised that he was read so easily.

"You want to kill Talon because he humiliated you and your reasons for killing LeBlanc are self-explanatory." The figure shrugged," It doesn't matter to us, just as long as you have a motive to kill them, it will make you all the more eager to finish the job."

"Why do you want to kill LeBlanc? Do you not work together?"

"Yes, but she is merely a puppet, a tool we are using and will soon discard."

"Would you discard me in such a careless fashion?"

"No, you don't worry us. LeBlanc is in a much more... direct position to challenge our authority, to change our vision of a new world order. You are nothing more than a pawn in the grand scheme of things."

"I'm a mercenary, I'm used to it by now."

"Excellent. Cheriknikov, murderer of the Lady Du Couteau, do you accept our proposition?"

"I do, Summoner."

**I'm sorry if it was bad, I was tired, uninspired and unsure how to go about this chapter. I know that it didn't have much action, but sometimes emotions and character development needs to take the place of blades and knives. If it was bad, just remember that this is my longest chapter to date (the first time I've gone over 10k words for a chapter), currently 14k words. That has to count for something, right? If you were expecting Talon to be revived this chapter, then I'm sorry, but he will definite by awake soon, if not by next chapter. And I promise that the future holds action packed chapters galore, if my fic turns out the way I'm currently planning it to. Now, more about my hiatus. I probably won't be working on any LoL related fics. If you've read any of the ANs, you should know by now that I lurve Blizzard and their games. So, I'll probably release a WarCraft one-shot based on this video (also another one of the reason why I haven't been updating recently) ** watch?v=E5QhizrdBBw&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ37ZdEHsa55UBTbCHIgxn-Kk&index=49

**Song****지****랄 ****Essentially "Bullshit"**

**Artist/Band?- Humming Urban Stereo (Korean ftw) **

**Lyrics- ****I love you, he tells me I will look after you, he promises I won't leave you, he swears You, who were like this I loved you, he tells me I have a new girl, he excuses I have to leave you, he cries So, so I let you go Why do you look happy after leaving me Take all the lies you puked out for me Why do you live so well after letting me** **go I can't, really can't do** **anything It's going to last forever, he whispers You are the only one for me, he assures I am going to** **marry you, he commits You, who were like this You were out of my league, he excuses You believed it all? he bullshits We are finished with everything, he shouts So, so I let you go Why do you look so lively** **after exhausting me Take all the pretending self you've given me Why do you look so energetic after abandoning me I can't, really can't do anything Goodbye, my love**

**Oh god, now I have an idea of another Talon/Katarina fic but I don't want to recycle the same song . Ah well, here's a quote I'll probably use for this fic or a one-shot. **

**"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."**

**Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher (1788-1860)**

**This is the quote I used in the fic," Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."**

**Lao Tzu**

**Finally, "Le voluer" means "the thief" in French. I think. **

**If you have a question about this upcoming fic (No? No one? Didn't think so) then PM me. **

**I found this really awesome piece of artwork on DeviantArt the other day about Batman and Green Lantern themed skins for Vayne and Thresh. It's awesome, no? ** art/Thresh-Lantern-and-Dark-knight-Vayne-386648009 

**As for music, it's all Blizzard related. But do not fear because Blizzard has some of the best music I've ever had the pleasure to listen to in a game. **

watch?v=86f_U_q4SFg&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ35mCRFGMLbAE5k09E8dXFMx&index=1 **Music featured in the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King expansion featuring everyone's favorite badass, Arthas (aka the Lich King). **

watch?v=VH3fLzxRX40&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ35mCRFGMLbAE5k09E8dXFMx&index=3 **Wow:WotLK them with Arthas without the Helm of Domination. **

watch?v=No6jHwe0QoQ&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ35mCRFGMLbAE5k09E8dXFMx&index=6 **Music about Sylvanas Windrunner, aka the Dark Lady aka the Banshee Queen. Basically, she was killed by Arthas and raised as a banshee and forced to serve him. It's basically about that. **

watch?v=4n6WP9qHyRM&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ35mCRFGMLbAE5k09E8dXFMx&index=7 **Read the description of the video. **

watch?v=OEUQ7Xkdz9g&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ35mCRFGMLbAE5k09E8dXFMx&index=91 **The title of this track is called "My Dearest Helena." A General from Earth plays this song as he is writing his last letter to his family, then commits suicide. **

watch?v=AK-D1rN0hdE&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ35mCRFGMLbAE5k09E8dXFMx&index=45 **Musc in SC: HotS expansion. **

watch?v=ZxPJPL1u1UA&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ35mCRFGMLbAE5k09E8dXFMx&index=46 **Musc in SC: HotS expansion. **

**Some of the music here is in Blizzard trailers, so if you're interested… **

watch?v=BCr7y4SLhck&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ37ZdEHsa55UBTbCHIgxn-Kk&index=4

watch?v=MVbeoSPqRs4&list=PLzn2l_TGNQ37ZdEHsa55UBTbCHIgxn-Kk&index=29 **I'm pretty sure that Riot used Kerrigan (the woman in the video) as a model for Zyra... they look too similar for it to be a coincidence. **

**If any of the links aren't working then PM me and I'll individually send them. **


	12. Hiatus

**Hello all, it's me again. **

**No, this is not a new chapter: Instead this is an update that will hopefully clarify your thoughts about my fic and True Strength's future.**

**So, as you can see, I've been AWOL for quite a while now; much longer than I had anticipated.**

**I do realize that I originally said that I would take a 1-2 week break, but I said so cautiously as I was unsure of how much time I would actually take off. **

**Now, two months later, it's not looking good.**

**For starters, I'm quite burnt out from the updating speed that I went on. You really can't expect someone to put up 10 chapters each 8k+ words each without consequences, do you? Anyways, the creative part of my brain seems to be on the brink of death, and I can't seem to revitalize it. I also have many many other fics/one-shots stored away, but I cannot get them to "work" as my brain just feel dead, which causes a lot of frustration as I am naturally a creative person. **

**Secondly, most of my time has been eaten up by school. Just to show you how much time is actually taken by school; I write at least 2 to 3 essays per week, read thirty pages from an ancient textbook, review 4 to 5 lectures throughout the week, then go to a study group for about 4 hours after school for a quiz/exam/in-class essay at the very end of the week. And that is just for one class. I have to prepare for maybe 2 to 3 quizzes per week, collectively that is, and although I am doing rather well, I really really do need to perform exceptionally the rest of my high school experience in order to get grants. If I don't, I might as well sign up for the military, and I really don't want to have to resort to that. It also doesn't help that some of my teachers are ridiculously incompetent/boring; in short, school and the goals I **_**need **_**to reach are crushing me. **

**Finally, I've been feeling a bit frustrated lately, which bleeds into my conversations with people and my work. Although I try **_**not**_** to show it, I just can't help but flame some people during the worst of it. I'm usually a more stoic person, not prone to showing much emotion (which is really weird because I try and emphasize emotion in my fics O.o), so it's been kind of difficult for me to reign in my temper. I've cooled down somewhat, but I still cannot seem to fire up the creative drive in my brain. If I come off as a dick or an ass in my conversations with you, I apologize, and ask that you would dismiss it. **

**Anyways, now that I've explained myself, I will proceed to tell you what I am actually doing/planning to do.**

**For one thing, the updates will probably be much much slower: Maybe something like once every two or three weeks, maybe even months. In short, don't expect them quickly or any time soon. **

**For another, I am looking over my work with an EXTREMELY critical eye. I've decided to go back and add/omit parts of my work. I have decided to put more of an emphasis on Zane, Talon's emotions/thoughts, Katarina's thoughts/emotions, Helena's influence on the Du Couteau family, and such. I will also be taking into account all the mistakes that you reviewers have managed to spot, and for that I thank you from the depths of my heart. It helps more than you know. **

**Anyways, True Strength 2.0 will probably be more verbose, essentially it will be longer. Hopefully the correlation between my wordage and quality will improve. **

**Anyways, I will also be rethinking my ideas for the plot, which could result in a complete overhaul of True Strength as you know it, but it is not likely.**

**This would probably take at least a month if I wanted to update EVERYTHING at once, so I'll just be updating in chapters, not all at once. **

**Now, about Chapter 12, it was started 2 weeks after my announced hiatus, and was a stop-go kind of thing. I had maybe one third of it on word before I scratched it, and I've been trying to get it to sound **_**right**_**. **

**I'm assuming that the death of my creative brain is a result of all the attention I've been getting recently, especially from the more experienced/well-known writers. I feel that I need to live up to the expectations, and that I have to **_**exceed **_**them. Somewhat selfish, but I also want to do it for the Kat/Talon community because it's a pretty small community that is largely ignored (at least I feel that way). If I manage to write a Talon/Kat fic that is on par with the more popular Garen/Kat fics/authors out there (most namely Princess Garen's The Only Truth), I feel like it would receive more "love" so to speak. Anyways, the gist of it is that I am becoming more and more self-critical of my work; trying to measure up to the standards I feel are being set upon myself, however imaginary they may be. **

**Anyways, what this all boils down to is this: I am feeling really really stressed right now, I will update TS but it will take time, a lot of it, and I plan to rewrite it in the hopes that it will become more refined. **

**If you feel the need to flame me and blame me for my overconfidence/mistakes, then I will accept it without complaint. It is my fic, so it is entirely acceptable to blame the author; I just wanted to clarify this fic's muddled future. **

**I hope this little piece does clear up your thoughts about this fic, and I sincerely hope that you can understand where I'm coming from with this. Anyways, good day to you ladies and gents; enjoy your weekend. **

**If you have any questions, please PM me or leave it in the reviews; I will try and answer them to the best of my ability without being too much of an asshat. **


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